Dragon Tail: The Grand Magic Games
by Optimus524
Summary: It has been seven years since Acnologia killed everyone on Cove Island and since then Dragon Tail has become the weakest guild in Septem. But something miraculous is about to happened that will change the world forever. However something dark is transpiring within the depths of the capital. Can Dragon Tail save the world once again or will they witness its destruction.
1. Dragon Tail, Year X791

A young boy of sixteen was looking out to sea at the dock solve Berk as if he was waiting for something. The young boy had black hair and had a red Dragon Tail emblem on his left shoulder. This young boy was none other than Gustav and he was waiting for the last members of Dragon Tail to return.

Gustav was wearing combat boots, baggy trousers and a pale white tunic. Around his neck was the fang of a wolf and he was much talk.

The year was 791 it had been seven long years since the fateful that Hiccup and the others disappeared on Cove Island.

"How long are you gonna stared into the ocean, kid," said a voice behind him.

Standing behind Gustav were much older Mulch and Bucket, neither of them had changed apart from getting a few more wrinkles and the beards were a bit greyer.

"Does he see a dragon?" Bucket asked staring around the ocean. "I always wanted to see a dragon."

"There's no dragon, Bucket, but we should get back to the Guild," said Mulch. Gustav just stood there watching. "Gobber will be getting worried if we don't get back."

"What's the looking at it not a dragon?" Mulch asked.

Mulch used hook to pull him down. "He's still hoping that Stoick and the others will return?"

"But what they—"

"I know, but allow the kid bit more," said Mulch.

Gustav looked out at the sea. "I know they're still out there," he said stubbornly.

* * *

Berk was still as busy as it always been seven years ago, but sadly the years had not been kind to Dragon Tail. The Guildhall was no more than a rundown tavern which looked as if it would fall apart at any time.

Spitelout slammed his tankard onto the table angrily. His beard was a bit longer now, but he still had that overconfident attitude.

"Where are those idiots?" he said angrily. "If I find those to have lost another member of Dragon Tail, they'll be kicked out."

Gobber, who had fitted a tankard prosthetics, rolled his eyes. He's clothes were covered in ash and he had a large hole on his tunic. He had more white hairs in his moustache and was now the Guild Master, though sometimes Spitelout forgot about this.

"It's a smart idea," said Gobber. "Kick more people out of the Guild when were already shorthanded, if you pardon the expression. And need I remind you I'm the Guild Master, not you?"

"Oh, and what kind you been doing," said Spitelout gesturing to the almost empty Guildhall. "We're practically empty."

"Is it may, or have we lost a lot of members," said Wartihog, who haven't changed a lot apart from getting a bit taller.

"That's to be expected, Wartihog, our Guild reputation and the number of jobs requests just keep going down," said Speedfist gesturing to the board.

Speedfist was now wearing a black jacket and metal braces on his arms. His hair had also grown a lot longer than he had a miserable look on his face.

"He's right," said Silent Sven, with a horrible squeaky voice. "We've only got a handful of them left."

Sven had lost quite a few hairs was had had lost a few hairs over the past seven years, but other than that he was just himself. He somehow regained his voice by an accident that was unknown to anyone in the Guild and it wasn't exactly the voice they wanted.

"I'm still surprised that people are giving us requests," said Speedfist folding his arms.

In a corner sat Helga and Ingrid and they looked even more miserable than normal. They haven't changed at all, but they were so miserable that they hardly even moved.

"You two still can't be bumped can you," said Phlegma with her hands on her hips. "You two ladies should go out exploring or something."

Phlegma haven't changed much either apart from a few white hairs, but she had grown even fiercer that was at all possible.

"But there's nothing to do," said Helga.

"Yeah, it's not like we have any cool jobs or anything," Ingrid agreed.

"That doesn't mean you can slack around," said Phlegma fiercely. "I mean Brila has grown to a nice young lady."

Brila was an employee of the Dragon Tail Guild for about seven years. She had once been a snake wondering the forests, but Stoick found her and discovered that she had been put under the spell. He was able to break the spell and returned to our normal for an ever since then she had been working as a waitress for Dragon Tail, slightly because he had nowhere else to go, but mostly because she was grateful that they freed her from her curse.

She was a twenty-year-old elven woman with short black hair with dazzling blue eyes and was quite attractive. She was wearing a lime green dress and was busy cleaning the tankards.

"We will be fine when Fishlegs gets back," said Helga.

"Yeah," Ingrid agreed.

"When are you two going to realise that Fishlegs is not coming back!" Phlegma yelled angrily.

Silence then fell across the Guildhall.

The silence was then broken when the doors of the Guild opened.

"How pathetic," said a voice behind them.

They turned and saw several heavily armed thugs in the doorway. There were total five of them, their leader was a muscular human, standing next to him was a dwarf holding a massive hammer, next to him was an elf wearing a rob in the last two were average build humans men, one was wearing a cloak and the other was completely bare chested. For them having Guild emblem that was which have the face of an ogre.

"No matter what time I come here the place is always quiet," said their leader. "I guess no one wants to bring the business to your crummy Guild."

"Dragon Tail has lost all its mojo," said one of the humans.

"Tabor," said Spitelout narrowing his eyes.

"I thought I told you never to set foot in here again," said Gobber angrily.

"Come on now," said Tabor. "Show a little respect whenever you talk to your superiors. Twilight Ogre, is the baddest Guild in Berk. You should bow down and kiss our boots."

The men then got to their feet and glared at them.

"You used to be the strongest Guild in Septem, but those days are long gone," said Tabor. "Now you're nothing more than a bunch of worthless out of work Vikings. Look at this don't you call a Guildhall. Have you seen the palace we've got right in the centre of town? One look at our Guildhall it's pretty obvious who can do more for Berk and it ain't Dragon Tail."

"You think you're better than us because you got a big hall?" Wartihog glared.

"Yeah, who cares, we've got more spirit then you can even imagine," said Speedfist.

"Good for you, but you can't make a living off spirit," said Tabor.

"What are you and your lackeys doing here, Tabor?" Gobber demanded.

"We've come to collect this month's payment," said Tabor.

Gobber looked at Spitelout. "You were supposed to pay them, Spitelout."

"If you bothered to give me the money I would have," said Spitelout looking at him.

"You know we wouldn't have to come all this way if you got your act together," said the elf.

"Listen we're having some financial issues with were not getting any decent jobs," said Gobber gesturing to the board. "We'll pay you in full next month. So get off our backs will ya."

"Watch an old man, let's not forget that you wouldn't have lasted this long if we hadn't swooped in and saved you," said the dwarf.

"Yeah, you should be thanking us to take on all your loan and keeping you off the streets like a bunch of beggars," said the human with the cloak.

"If we knew that you were going to charge us so much interest we never would have asked for your help in the first place," Phlegma snarled.

"Want to say that a little louder you all had," said the bare-chested human.

"That's enough!" Gobber yelled. He then looked at Twilight Ogre. "But we all say don't have the money, but will pay you next month. Now get out!"

Tabor responded by kicking him in the face and knocking him to the ground.

"Gobber!" Spitelout yelled.

"No!" Phlegma yelled as he collided into the bar.

"He literally went flying," said the dwarf smoking.

"What did you expect from such a weak Guild," said Tabor.

"That's it!" said Wartihog.

"You crossed the line," said Speedfist.

"Oh, you want to find us," said Tabor as he and his men reach for their weapons.

"Stand down, Dragon Tail!" Gobber yelled as Brila helped him up.

They were reluctant, but follow the order.

"You heard the man, stand down," said Spitelout.

Twilight Ogre then began wrecking the place smashing the tables and chairs and drinking all the alcohol

"You guys are pathetic!" said the dwarf.

"You won't even fight back," said the elf.

"Talk about lame!" said the human with the cape.

Tabor merely laughed as they wrecked the place and Dragon Tail merely just stood there fighting the urge to give them the beat down they deserved.

"Ah, that was fun," said Tabor as he and his goons made their way to the door. "Let's go."

"Right, boss," said his goons.

Tabor looked at Gobber. "You've got one more month and that's it."

They then left laughing their selves silly.

"Are you all right?" Brila asked.

* * *

A few minutes later they began tidying up the Guild, but no one was in very high spirits. Then Bucket's sketchbook fell off the shelf and it held pictures of the members of Dragon Tail that went to Cove Island.

Helga and Ingrid to a picture of the younger selves standing around Fishlegs and then broke into tears. Spitelout was also completely heartbroken as he looked down at the images of his two children, Snotlout and Adelaide. Gobber, too, was heartbroken as he looked at the pictures of Stoick, Valka and Hiccup and his team.

"Hard to believe it's been seven years," said Spitelout.

"Feels like it was just yesterday," said Gobber.

"Those were definitely better times," said Wartihog.

"The Dragon Tail Guild isn't the same without those guys," said Speedfist.

"When we found out that Cover Island had been destroyed, we started searching for any sign of them," said Helga.

"But not a soul turned up," said Ingrid depressingly.

"If the Viking Council is telling the truth, the island was wiped out by this Acnologia," said Sven.

"So many different organisations donated their time to help us search, but we didn't find a single clue," said Phlegma.

"It's not surprising though," said Wartihog. "The Ethernano levels we recorded around Cove Island that day were off the charts. In fact the levels were so high that no living thing could ever survive."

"Is Acnologia's roar really that powerful to do such horrific damage?" Helga cried.

Speedfist pulled out a book called the _Book of Dragons_. "Yes it is," he said. "I just don't think you understand, it destroyed an entire nation all by itself. There's no way anyone could face that monster and lived to talk about it."

"Why did it go and had to kill all our friends?" Ingrid asked blowing her nose.

"Without them, the Guild was doomed it got weaker and weaker and all we could do was watch," said Wartihog. "And while that happened, a new Guild took over Berk."

"Maybe it's time for us to call it quits," said Spitelout.

"How could you even suggest that?" Phlegma yelled.

Spitelout then noticed Gobber been completely silent. "Something wrong, Gobber?"

"I don't know if I can keep this up much longer," he said.

"Don't worry you're doing a fine job," said Spitelout. Everyone looked at him in surprise. "I can be complementary if I want to."

"To be honest I think it was Gustav, who took it the hardest," said Gobber. "Kid hasn't smiled since they disappeared."

Then suddenly they heard a noise outside and everything began to shake.

"What's that sound?" Phlegma asked.

"I don't think I like it," said Ingrid.

"Don't tell me Twilight Ogre again," said Helga.

They rushed outside and saw that it was not Twilight Ogre, but a massive airship was heading straight towards them. This airship in particular was quite familiar to them, because it had a winged horse as a figurehead.

"Is that the new Blue Pegasus ship the _Christina Advance_?" Wartihog asked.

Then they saw someone standing on the deck and could tell instantly that it was a dwarf.

"Wait?" said Speedfist. "Is that…"

"Not him," Sven moaned.

It was, it was none other than Olatrand a senior member of Blue Pegasus, who allied with Team Asgard and Thor Hammer to take down the Oración Seis seven years ago. He had merely changed at all apart from the stubble he had now grown around his chin.

"What is that foul stench?" said Olatrand. "My, my, this insipid parfum is not a pleasant one."

"Is that who I think it is?" Phlegma asked.

"Looks like it," said Spitelout.

"What's he doing here?" Gobber frowned.

Then to their complete bewilderment Olatrand jammed of the _Christina Advance_. They expected him to do some sort of perfect landing, but instead he landed face first in the pavement. Fortunately, he had rather a thick so he wasn't injured at all.

"I apologise for making you wait," he said as he got to his feet. "But Sir Olatrand is at your service."

"You okay?" Gobber asked noticing that while he had not severely injured himself he was still quite dazed.

They looked up and saw three handsome elves floating down towards them. They too were members of Blue Pegasus called Arvin, Cavin and Feralan and they have changed either apart from getting more handsomer if was at all possible. They like Olatrand had joined Hiccup and the others with their fight against the Oración Seis.

"You know there are much better ways of getting off the ship than jumping, Boss" said Arvin.

"Especially when _I_ , can use _Air Magic_ ," said Feralan.

"Long time no see you guys," said Cavin.

"Wow, it's Blue Pegasus," said Ingrid blushing slightly. "They're so cool."

"Weren't you pining for Fishlegs ten minutes ago?" Phlegma asked rolling her eyes.

"What's this about?" Speedfist wondered.

The moment they landed they quickly approached the girls of the Guild.

"Helga, you're as pretty as ever," said Arvin.

"Uh…" she said.

"You're looking at, Ingrid," said Feralan.

"Well I…" she stared.

"Brila, care to go on a date with me?" Cavin asked.

"Uh…" she said nervously.

"How about you guys tell us what you're doing here!" said Warithog folding his arms.

"Cut it out you three," said Olatrand brushing himself off. "We've got business to attend to."

"Our apologies, sir," they said in unison.

"Hey, Olatrand, mind telling us what you're doing here," said Gobber.

"Man, I shall never forget the sweet parfum of friendship we created facing off those together," said Olatrand facing him.

"We've been flying _Christina_ around Septem to observe ethernano levels around the area and if _Archives_ data analysis is correct all of our hard work is about to pay off," said Arvin.

Everyone and stared at them.

"Are you ready for this?" said Olatrand dramatically. "Cove Island still exists."

Everyone was just stood there in silence.

* * *

A few days later, they scrounged up what savings they had to rent a boat and Sven led a recon party. His team consisted of Wartihog, Speedfist, Helga and Ingrid they were sailing towards where Cove Island once stood.

Sven was looking around his spyglass, but saw nothing. "You sure away in the right place?" he asked.

"This is where the Pegasus guys told us to go," said Speedfist using his telepathy to search around the general area. "They said that something was up with the Ethernano levels."

"So what is Ethernano anyway?" Warithog asked looking over the map.

"Hey, if I know. I'm guessing it's magic particles or something."

Wartihog looked from the map to look at him. "Having any luck with your telepathy?"

"I'm not picking up anything at all," said Speedfist as he gave up using his telepathy.

"Maybe we should have brought Gustav along?" Sven asked. "The lad definitely needs something to cheer himself up."

"No it's better this way, because there is no guarantee that they're still alive" said Wartihog.

"That's the grim truth," Speedfist nodded. "There's no point getting everyone's hopes up."

"We'll see, Fishlegs!" Helga and Ingrid cried as they danced around.

"You might want to tell them," said Sven shaking his head. "Though I can't blame them."

"Will you two shut up!" Speedfist roared. That stopped them dancing. "It's been seven years since we last heard from them. We've got to consider the worst-case scenario."

"We know," Helga sighed.

"Sorry guys," said Ingrid apologetically.

They soon reached the location and Sven noticed something weird almost instantly.

"That's weird," he said.

"What is it?" Wartihog asked.

"It's like the breeze just start," Sven frowned noticing the sails weren't picking up any wind.

"Now that you mention it is strangely quiet," said Wartihog.

"And there's no birds," Helga added.

"Whoa, what's going on?" said Ingrid.

Wartihog then looked over the side of the boat and saw something in the distance. Strangely enough it looked like a person.

"Anyone see that?" he asked.

"A person?" said Helga.

"No way," said Speedfist noting something quite unusual. "Whatever it is it's floating above the water."

Sven pulled out some binoculars and looked up to see. "It's definitely a person."

The person was a beautiful woman with very long black hair that touched the water surface. She stood wearing white robes, her eyes were a deep shade of emerald green.

"She's standing above the water," said Wartihog.

"Who could she be?" Ingrid frowned.

They then watch as she raised her hands and suddenly columns of light shot out of the water and the ocean became quite choppy. Everyone on the ship held firmly to the sides so they wouldn't fall off and then something began to emerge out of the water. It was some sort of bright dome with the Dragon Tail emblem upon it and inside was none other than Cove Island completely untouched.

"By Thor, is that is?" said Ingrid openmouthed.

"I think so," said Helga.

"It's Cove Island," said Wartihog staring in bewilderment.

"It came out of nowhere," Speedfist gasped.

Soon the dome vanished and their standing in its rightful place was Cove Island and they watched as it sank back into place. The woman but they saw before then slowly began to turn towards the island and headed straight towards it.

"That woman, she's headed to the shore," said Speedfist.

"Quick, let's follow her," said Wartihog.

* * *

They quickly anchored offshore and made their way to the island and began chasing after the strange woman.

"Hold on, Miss!" Sven yelled.

"Wait for us!" Warithog yelled.

The woman however kept on walking or rather floating towards the forest and show no signs of stopping.

"Any idea who that woman is?" Helga asked.

"Nope, I've got no clue," said Sven. "All I know is that she helped us find Cove Island. Maybe she's taking us to the others."

"I sure hope so," said Speedfist.

"Don't loss her!" Wartihog yelled.

"Go, Helga!" Sven ordered.

"Right," she nodded.

Helga then zoomed ahead of them using speed to catch up with the woman, but there was no trace of her.

"That's weird, I should have caught up to her by now," she frowned.

She then saw something that stopped right in her tracks. The others had managed to catch up with her and saw that she was staring at something.

"What is it?" said Sven.

"Yeah, what's the deal?" Ingrid asked.

"Where did she go?" Speedfist asked.

"Do you say something?" Wartihog asked.

They soon caught up to her and saw what she was staring at. Half buried in the dirt was Hiccup, he was covered in bandages and was unconscious. They just stared at him with her eyes widened and mouth open.

"Hiccup!" Sven breathed.

* * *

At the Guildhall, Gustav was just sitting at a table looking at the book.

"Hey, Gustav, I hope you're not too upset with staying behind," said Gobber.

"Nah, even if they were lucky enough to find Cove Island I doubt anyone is still alive," he said without looking at him.

"Don't be such a downer, lad. You got release have a little faith," Gobber smiling.

"But they've been gone for seven years," Gustav reminded.

Mulch and Bucket looked at one another and shrugged and Gobber sighed.

"Holy Thor, this don't look even more deserted than it was yesterday," said Tabor. They turned and saw Tabor and his goons standing at the entrance. "Seems less like a guild to me more like a kids club house."

"Tabor, I thought we agreed we'd pay you next month," said Gobber.

"Yeah, I mentioned to our Master, and he said 'No way in hell.' He said that we're going to have a problem if you don't cough up the money," said Tabor as his goons laughed. "You better pay up, because our Master always gets what he wants."

Gustav closed his book and glared up at them. "Screw your Master," he said.

"Watch it, Gustav," Gobber warned, knowing they could only push them so far.

"You're not getting any more money from us today," said Gustav approaching them.

"I suggest you drop the attitude, brat," Tabor advised.

"You may be able to boss Gobber and the others around that are afraid to stand up against you," said Gustav as a purple flame appeared in his hand. "If they won't I will! I'm not going to let you guys disgraced Dragon Tail's good name!"

"Gustav!" Spitelout warned.

"That kid is gonna get himself killed," said Gobber hobbling along towards him.

Tabor nearly blew away the flame in his hand and then grabbed his bludgeon. "Hate to tell ya, but the name has already been disgraced," he said.

"Leave him alone!" Gobber yelled.

"You can train half your life and there's still nowhere you ever beat me," said Tabor as he raised his bludgeon.

However, before he struck Gustav someone kicked him in the back hard sending him flying across the Guildhall and into the opposite wall. Everyone was completely stunned and Tabor goons turned around wondering who attacked their boss.

"Who the hell," they said in unison.

Suddenly the human with the cape was frozen, the barechested human got struck by an iron club, the dwarf got hit by a battleaxe and the elves was completely crushed by a giant's hand.

When the smoke finally cleared, the ones that dispatch Twilight Ogre were revealed. It was none other than Hiccup and the other members of the Cove Team.

"Look who's back," said Hiccup smiling.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," said Toothless.

They started to enter the Guildhall and looked around as everyone stared at them.

"We're going to need a bigger Guildhall than this," said Stoick.

"I find it rather cosy," said Valka.

"I can't believe it," said Gobber openmouthed.

"No way," said Spitelout stunned.

"You look so young!" Phlegma screamed with joy.

"Yeah, you guys don't look like you aged in seven years," said Mulch.

"Did you have a nice holiday?" Bucket asked.

"Uh, well…" said Ruby.

He then started to explain what had happened to them and why they hadn't changed in seven years.

* * *

A a few days ago, Sven and his team were trying to wake Hiccup up, who looked as if he been hit by an avalanche.

"Hiccup, wake up!" Wartihog said as he shook him.

"Pull yourself together!" said Speedfist.

"Come on, man, you've got to get up," said Helga.

Hiccup then began to stir and rubbed his forehead. "Man, what hit me?"

Next second he found himself being crushed to death by Helga and Ingrid. "You're alive!" they cried.

"Thank, Thor!" said Sven.

Hiccup managed to pull himself free from Helga then Ingrid and stared at them. "Mind telling me what's going on? What are you guys doing on the island? Why do you look so much older?"

They didn't answer his questions and instead began to cry ferociously.

"You haven't change a bit in all this time," Sven cried.

"Since when were you able to talk, Sven?" Hiccup stared.

Helga and Ingrid then heard several moans and turned to find Toothless also half buried in the dirt.

"Uh, is it morning already?" Toothless groaned.

"Toothless!" they cried and began digging him out.

"The last thing I remember was being hit by Acnologia?" said Hiccup rubbing his forehead. He then looked at them frantically. "Wait, where's everyone else?"

"Fear not, they are alive and well," said a voice.

They looked up and saw looking down on top of them for me hill was an elf. He was barefoot and appear to be wearing some old elven garments and had a cane in his left hand. The strangest thing was that he bore a very strong resemblance to Hiccup apart from the long hair, pointy ears and blue eyes.

They all stared at him completely bewildered looking at him to Hiccup.

"Who are you?" Hiccup asked. "Why do you look so much like me?"

"I mean you know harm and to answer your question the reason I look so much like you it's because I'm your ancestor," he said with a smile. "I am Dragon Tail's First Master, my name is Hiccup horrendous Haddock the First."

Everyone stared at him openmouthed.

"I imagine you have any questions, but first let us find your friends," he said.

They began to follow him with about a million questions in their heads and slowly he reunited them with the rest of the Cove Team. Sven and the others were so relieved to see them alive, Helga and Ingrid were particularly pleased to see Fishlegs alive and well though they were quite shocked to discover that Alvin was there with them.

Once they were all together he began to explain what had happened to them.

"Once the dragon attacked I was able to convert the bonds of trust and friendship between your Guild Mates into pure magic power. Their bonds were so strong, the _Dragon Shield_ was activated. One of the three grand _Dragon Spells_. It is an absolute defence spell capable of protecting the Guild from all manner of evil. Those inside the impenetrable barrier were in a suspended state, it has been seven long years, but the spell is finally been lifted."

"Odin's beard, to think that we were saved by Dragon Tail's Founding Master," said Stoick in surprise.

Hiccup the First merely shook his head. "No, no, I merely corporeal," he said as he began to fade. "I merely used what energy I had left to convert your bonds into magic power. Your unwavering conviction and your love one another, they're what brought forth this miracle." He then looked down at Stoick. "You should be proud of the Guild you built, they're wonderful."

"Hang on," said Sven. "Before you go can you tell us about woman we saw was?"

"Ah, her," said Hiccup the First. "She is known as the Chronicler and she is as old as I. Her duty to write what she sees and only interferes when need be. She possesses the power to see the future and it was she that created the _Arc of Time Magic_. Whether you see her again is another thing, but what you experienced was something that people usually witness once-in-a-lifetime."

He then vanished.

* * *

Back in the present, Stoick had just finished their tale on how they survived.

"Well, that's it," said Stoick.

Hiccup then saw Gustav, who just stared up at him completely speechless.

"Gustav?" Hiccup said shocked. "I hardly recognise you, you've grown so much."

Gustav was trying to hold back tears, but found that completely impossible as was everyone else in the Guild. He finally couldn't hold back and smiled at them for the first time in seven years.

"Everyone, welcome back," he said.

* * *

Meanwhile, Hiccup the First's spirit was still on Cove Island and he was meditating in front of the place where Drago had once been imprisoned.

He then felt a gust of wind. "I thought that you said that you would never interfere with the mortal plane," he said opening his eyes.

Their standing in front of him was the Chronicler. "I only interfere when it was necessary and they needed guidance."

Hiccup the First looked at the broken chains. "He's free now."

"I know," said the Chronicler sighed. "It would seem as if another war is inevitable and the future is so crowded that I can barely see anything. Though your descendant will be in the middle of it all, my love."

"Then let us hope that he is able to defeat your brother once and for all."


	2. The Seven Year Gap

At the Guildhall everyone was celebrating the return of the Cove Island Team and they can believe that they had been in in suspended animation for seven long years. To Ruby it was like something out of a book and she couldn't believe that she experienced anything like it.

They spent the entire night celebrating drinking and eating as they celebrated their return. They had never had so much fun in their entire lives let alone the past seven years. There was one thing that they can all agree upon, it was nice to be home.

They were still celebrating the next morning.

"I see you've learned some _Fire Magic_ , Gustav," said Hiccup.

"Yeah, look I can even make cold flames," said Gustav producing an icy blue fire.

"That is quite cool," said Skullcrusher. Gustav then produced a sticky purple like claim that stuck to the table. "And what's this one?"

"It's a purple flame that can stick to anything its cast on," said Gustav. "I took some lessons from Gobber, he was the one that the basis of _Fire Magic_ wasn't the?"

"Yeah, along with many other things," said Hiccup. He then frowned slightly. "Though I swear that I recognise these frames before."

"That's because I've also been taking lessons from Master Blaze," said Gustav.

"Get out," said Eret with a smile. "I didn't know he was teaching."

Skullcrusher smiled at him, it was a rare sight to see him smiling.

"Yeah, I remember him he was one of the _Element Four of Phantom Lord_ ," said Hiccup folding his arms. "The two of us couldn't even use magic against one another we had to fight hand-to-hand. Until I found a way to combat his fine manipulation powers."

* * *

"I have to say I didn't expect you to taking role as Guild Master," said Stoick as he and Valka sat at the bar with him.

"Someone had to, but to be honest I don't think I did a very good job," said Gobber honestly.

"Nonsense," said Valka dismissively. "You manage the whole the Guild together while we were gone."

"Yeah, but I'm glad that you're taking over the reins Stoick," said Gobber as he took a drink of mead. "This job is far too tiring."

"I suppose that would be for the best," Stoick nodded.

* * *

Spitelout was with his two children and he was immensely relieved to see that they were alive and well.

"You don't know how worried I've been," he said looking at the two of them.

"It's not like we invited that thing to attack," said Snotlout.

"We're just sorry that it took us so long to get here," said Adelaide.

"Well, you're here now and that makes your old man quite happy," Spitelout smiled and pulled the two of them into a massive.

* * *

Toothless and the other Exceeds were looking at one another.

"Do you think the others Exceeds were worried that we were gone?" Toothelss asked.

"I doubt they noticed," said Cloudjumper.

"He is correct, time flows differently for us Exceeds," said Skullcrusher.

"I suppose that's comforting," said Stormfly.

* * *

Stoick then looked at Brila, who was busy cleaning the tankards. "I must say, Brila, it looks like the last seven years have treated you well."

"That's so sweet of you," she said with a large smile. "Thank you, Master."

"So, tell me, have any of your memories come back yet?" Stoick asked.

"No, nothing so far," she said looking slightly disappointed. "I wonder why? Although there have been times when I can hear someone calling to me. 'Let me hear your voice,' they say and sometimes I feel as if I know them. They're so familiar and gentle."

The doors then swung open wide and there stood five figures.

"Welcome," said Brila turning towards them. "May I hope you?"

"Wonderful, it seems the rumours were true," said a familiar voice.

"Who are these bozos?" Snotlout asked.

"I think I know," said Adelaide.

In fact they all knew, they were in fact Jura, Lyon, Ashelin, Torn and Veger of _Thor Hammer_. Jura had now a massive long beard and Ashelin was now sporting an engagement ring on her finger. The others however hadn't changed much apart from growing a bit.

"Hello my lovelies," said Ashelin with a large smile. "I'm glad to hear that your deaths were exaggerated."

"You appear to be in great health," said Jura.

"The sentiment is a little redundant when they haven't aged in seven years," Veger pointed out.

"Hmm, you barely back two days and you've already trashed the place," said Lyon shaking his head.

"No way," said Ragnar staring at Lyon.

"Whoa, it's Thor Hammer," Ruby gasped.

"Blue Pegasus and _Thor Hammer_ help us search for Cove Island longer than anyone else would," Wartihog explained.

"We appreciate it," said Astrid.

"Well, I guess we owe you one," said Ragnar placing his hands in his pockets.

Lyon closes eyes and smiled. "I love to take you up on that offer, but I've got seven years on you now and I'm not the kind of guy that takes advantage on children."

"Yeah, rub it in," Ragnar grumbled.

* * *

A few minutes later everyone got themselves settled in in the Guildhall.

"So, you see things haven't been completely bad well you guys were taking your seven-year _siesta_ ," said Ashelin. "In that time, _Thor Hammer_ , climb the ranks to Septem's second-best Guild. No hard feelings, right, Ruby."

"Second, huh?" Ruby frowned. "Is _Pegasus_ number one?"

"Yeah, real funny!" Torn roared.

"Here we go," Veger sighed as Torn began ranting angrily. "Torn, you're embarrassing yourself again."

Jura placed a hand on Hiccup's shoulder. "Now. Torn's wild rant aside we're just glad to have you back with us."

"That's right," said Torn, who finally calmed down.

* * *

Ragnar then noticed that Lyon was staring at Heather almost transfixed.

"My Thor," he said and then to Heather's complete bewilderment he placed his hand on her shoulders. "I never believed in true love until now."

"That's unexpected," said Astrid.

"I think Heather agreed with you," said Hiccup.

Heather quickly backed away from Lyon much to his surprise. "Don't you think your jumping the gun?"

"Looks like we got a love triangle," said Ruby nudging Ragnar.

Ragnar immediately blast. "I-I don't know what you're talking about."

"Sure you don't," she teased.

* * *

"Anyway, turns out that I'm a father," said Gildarts gesturing to Agatha.

"Just don't go overprotective on me," she said.

"I'm your Dad, I'm supposed to be overprotective," said Gildarts.

"Now I know how, Hiccup feels," Agatha groaned.

"Boy, talk about a curveball," said Wartihog.

"Is it discovering that they were alive wasn't crazy enough," Speedfist nodded.

* * *

"So how did you get your voice, Sven?" Merrill asked curiously.

"And why does it sound so terrible?" Stormfly added.

"It was blaster Twilight Ogre, the first time they were and are Guildhall I finally found me voice," said Sven proudly. "The some reason machine don't seem to like it?"

"Jeez, I wonder why?" said Stormfly shaking her head.

Ruby just laughed as he looked around at everyone laughing and crying over their return. To them it only a week had passed, but with their friends and family it was seven years which involved pain and suffering. Ruby can't even imagine what they went through and found guilty for causing such pain.

* * *

Finally everyone had managed to calm down and will be starting to make her way towards her flat.

"Ah, man, I cannot wait to soak in my own back again," she said.

Unfortunately, when she got there she came face-to-face with her landlady, who gave a sTorng sense of foreboding.

"Crap, it's the landlady," said Ruby shivering.

"I heard you are back, Mrs Heartfull," said the landlady. "I hope you and your pocketbook are in good health, because you only seven years rent. 5,888,000 Gil." Ruby just stared at her crestfallen, she had completely forgotten about the back rent. "I'm not letting you into this house until I have been paid in full."

Soon the door was slammed in her face and she sat on the pavement completely crestfallen.

"5,888,000 Gil, how am I supposed to get that kind of cash?" she said depressingly.

The only upside to this situation was that he wasn't the only one who suffered from back rent. While the boys have their own houses, most of the girls had apartments in Dragon Hills, which somehow survived despite the guilds decline.

"That all the money I have," Merrill cried as she and Stormfly found their purses completely empty.

"We were just considered the best a debt okay," said Phlegma kindly.

Astrid, Heather and Rubbella were in complete depression as they were suffering from back rent as well. At least this meant that they would all be broke together.

Ruby still can wrap ahead around the seven-year time gap, they missed so much. Especially missing how Gustav had become a handsome young man. Plus everyone was recovering from Gildarts and Agatha bombshell.

Naturally this causes a think about her own Dad, she had planned to make contact with in the moment she returned from Cove Island, but that was seven years ago and he been waiting for so long since he heard anything from her.

"He must be worried sick," she sighed. She then began to remember the hard Gildarts and Agatha share. "Maybe it's time I pay my old man visit. If Hiccup can patch things up with his dad, I can do the same."

However, those seven years they last weighed heavily upon the Cover Island Team.

* * *

At the Guildhall, Bucket and Mulch approached Astrid.

"Astrid," said Mulch. "I thought you might want to know about… Jellal."

"Jellal? Is he here?" But could asked looking around frantically.

In the Guildhall, Jura was sitting next to Stoick and looked at him business-like.

"By the way, Stoick, the Viking Lords will be holding a meeting very soon. You should come you need to be debriefed," said Jura. "And there's a matter of importance to discuss."

Ragnar and Lyon were on the roof of the Guild shirtless.

"You know a woman named Ultear and a girl named Orara don't you?" said Lyon.

Ragnar looked at him surprised. "Yeah, but how do you know about those two?"

Mulch, Jura and Lyon explained everything to them and what they have to say was quite grim indeed.

"So you're still alive after all, Drago," Stoick growled.

* * *

The next morning, Ruby was making her way to Cornful to visit her father. Accompanying her was Hiccup and Toothless.

"Remind me again why two tag along with me?" Ruby asked.

"Because I figured that you might need someone with experience on your hands," said Hiccup. "I did exactly send any messages to my Dad over the five years training I did. Also it would hurt that you had someone to back your story, you have to admit that it is a bit unorthodox."

"Good point," said Ruby.

"Surprised you're not asking your Dad for money," said Toothless.

"If I did that it would make me look like a huge jerk," said Ruby. "In case you've forgotten he tried to do the same with me.

"Yeah, but at least you're not acting like a stalker," Hiccup pointed out.

* * *

They soon reached the Merchant Guild where her father worked, but there was no sign of him. So they made their way towards the reception desk.

"Excuse me, Miss. May I ask you something?" Ruby asked.

"Yes, ma'am," the receptionist smiled.

"Do you happen to know whether Mr Magnus Heartfull will be coming in today?" Ruby smiled. "He is still registered here isn't he?"

The receptionist stared at her openmouthed. "Uh, would you be Magnus' daughter by any chance?"

"Yep," Ruby nodded.

The receptionist attitude changed completely.

"Is there a problem?" Hiccup asked.

"Is he out sick?" Toothless asked.

"Do you have his home address?" Ruby asked.

The receptionist looked at her very reluctantly. "Actually… I'm very sorry to have to tell you this, but…" Ruby's eyes widened as she sensed a great foreboding. "Magnus passed away a little over a month ago. It was a shock to all of us."

* * *

Later that day, Ruby bought some flowers and made her way towards the graveyard where she found a grave marker right next to her mother's. The grave marker had several words engraved which read, _Magnus Heartfull, ADW 745-X791_.

It soon it became reality that the weight of those seven years kept piling on. After Ruby place the flowers on the grave marker they started to make their way back to Berk and walked in complete silence. Neither Hiccup nor Toothless knew what to say.

"Ruby, I—" said Toothless.

"Toothless," said Hiccup and shook his head.

Toothless stopped talking and continue to walk down the path in silence.

Ruby then stopped. "Sorry for putting you through all this trouble," she said without looking at them.

"Are you going to be okay, Ruby?" Toothless asked.

"Yeah," she lied as she turned to face them. "I'm just shocked about my dad is all. I'll be just fine."

"You don't have to lie us," said Hiccup. "Look, I'm not going to pretend that I know what you are experiencing. I was lucky enough to be reunited with my Mum after believing that she was dead for 20 years and I was able to patch things up with my Dad. But we are here for you if you need us."

Ruby smiled. "Thanks, Hiccup. I know a few years have passed, but it feels like I saw him alive and healthy a couple of months ago. It's hard to accept that I will never get to see or speak to him ever again. It's weird, but when I think back I never really got along with my dad when I was growing up in the same with Phantom certainly didn't help matters.

"But then what happened at Cornful, I truly felt my relationship with him had changed for the better. It's just like to work himself sick. Guess it was too much this time what bothers me most is that even if I'm sad and I miss him, I can't cry. The tears are just not there. Does that mean in the end he meant nothing to me?"

"No, of course it doesn't," said Hiccup. "I don't know how to explain it, but I don't think whether you cry or not means that you cared any less about him."

"Thanks, Hiccup," said Ruby smiling. "You're right. I know that, I already feel better."

* * *

The next day at Berk, Stoick was meeting the Guild Master of Twilight Ogre with Astrid and Adelaide to discuss money.

Their Guild Master, Agnar the Aggressive looks more like a gangster than a Guild Master and it was a surprised by the way they acted that they were the Dark Guild.

"I'm done playing games. I've got nothing else to say to you, okay," said Agnar as he smoked a cigar. "There ain't no way that I'm going to back down until you and your guild pay the debt you owe me."

"I would like nothing more to pay you, but I'm sure you're well aware of the financial right that we found ourselves in," said Stoick.

"Your business records have a lot of holes in," said Adelaide cheerfully. "It makes you wonder if we are paying you more than we really owe."

"Would you care to explain that?" Astrid asked narrowing her eyes.

"You tramp!" Agnar roared getting to his feet. "Are you accusing me of fraud or something?"

"Not at all," said Stoick calmly. "You can be assured that we repay whatever we owe with _proper_ interest someday."

Agnar was now getting even angrier. "You're starting to try my patience, Buster."

"Then clearly you misinterpreted," said Stoick folding his arms. "What I mean is that we should start renegotiating our interest rate."

"What?" Agnar yelled. "I don't negotiate with dead beats that my boys and don't pay their debts, understand!"

Tabor and the rest of his cronies were heavily bandaged after their dealings with Hiccup and the others.

"You think your tough, old timer, but I'll make you pay for disrespectful. Me and my boys have a reputation to uphold," said Agnar gesturing to the clip on his cape which was the Twilight Ogre emblem.

"Understood," said Stoick not looking intimidated in the slightest. "We only came to discuss money, but we can discuss your reputation as well. I have no problem telling you what I think."

That made Agnar even angrier and he kicks the table in a rage. "You want to wear cement shoes, fatso?"

"'Get payback for what old,'" said Stoick. "If memory serves that the Twilight Ogre creed." He then narrowed his eyes in fury at Agnar. "Much like an eye for an eye."

"Indeed," said Astrid as a purple aura surrounding her. "And when you think of it in those terms. You owe us for seven years of property damage and abuse."

Adelaide was surrounded by a dark blue aura. "So it seems you owe us. It's only fair that our Guild will be paid back for each and every claim during that time."

A golden aura surrounded Stoick as he began to grow so much so that he almost touch the ceiling. "The suffering my charges endure at your hands, all the years that I wasn't there, it brings tears to my eyes!" Agnar started to quiver in his boots as Stoick towered over him. "You hear me! So if its war you want its war you're going to you get!"

Astrid was now wearing her Rumblehorn armour and Adelaide was in her Wrath Demon form. Upon the side of the two ladies looking threatening at everyone scare the entire Guild.

* * *

Outside was Gobber, Spitelout and Valka and suddenly they heard the cries of Twilight Ogre as Stoick and the others went to work.

"One minute," said Valka looking at her watch. "That a new record for him."

"Make you wonder why we allowed ourselves to be kicked around doesn't it?" said Spitleout looking at Gobber.

"Because we were both devastated over the last of your kids and me with everyone else," Gobber reminded.

"Ah, I forgot," said Spitelout. "Still, it's nice to watch their work. It makes the past seven years nothing more than a bad dream."

"Couldn't agree with you more," Gobber nodded.

"I see that Dad is using his famous diplomatic skills," said Hiccup as he and Toothless approached them.

"You know your father, he doesn't let anything go," said Valka. She then looked at him. "Speaking of fathers, how did things go with Ruby's?"

Hiccup looked at her grimly. "Not good."

* * *

Ruby was in the park and watched a little girl playing with her father.

"Hey, there pumpkin," said the father picking his little girl up.

"Daddy!" she laughed.

She then heard footsteps and looked up to see her landlady approaching her.

"The landlady?" she stared.

Then without warning she grabbed Ruby's leg and dragged her way.

"Someone help me!" she cried.

* * *

A few minutes later, she was tossed right into her apartment much to her surprise.

"My apartment?" she stared. "But it looked exactly the way I left it seven years ago?"

"I've been cleaning it every week," said the landlady. "Everything held up pretty well over the years. I left all your mail on the table there."

Ruby then noticed a whole pile of presents much to her bewilderment.

"Without fail, they would show up every year on the same day," said the landlady.

Ruby examined the present and saw a note on them which read, ' _To my dear daughter,_ _Happy Birthday, from Papa_.' She soon realised that they were birthday present from her father. Her father never really remembered her birthday, because he was so busy with work in fact during one horrible time when she was about eight years old, he dismissed causing her to cry.

"He remembered," Ruby breathed.

"Oh, yeah," said the landlady she then pointed to a parcel on her bed. "The one on your bed arrived this morning."

Ruby saw that the parcel also came with a letter and she opened it up and began to read it.

 _My dearest Ruby,_

 _Happy birthday._

 _As I write this letter, I find myself wondering whether when you'll get to read it. A long time has passed since the news of your disappearance reached me. I'm very worried, but I have faith that you're safe._

 _You're so much like your mother, stubborn as a rock and blessed with luck. I'm sure you're fine and that I'll see you again some. As for me, business is booming and I'm about to close a big deal with the Western Region. It keeps me busy, but I'm still living a fulfilling life._

 _I think of you and Crystal every single day, those memories keep me going. I miss you terribly, where ever you are I hope that you're living life to the fullest and following your own path. Please, never forget how proud that I am of you._

"I won't dad," she said as tears ran down the cheek and she continued reading.

 _Ruby, I love you. That is one thing that will never change_.

Ruby can hold back the tears anymore as they trickled down her cheek onto the letter. "By daddy," she cried. "I love you too."

She then laid against the bed and began to cry.

The landlady then decided to leave and then found that Hiccup and the rest of Team Asgard were outside waiting.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"We were wondering if Ruby was home," said Hiccup.

"She is, but it would be best if you leave her alone for now," the landlady advised.

"I thought that you kicked out of her apartment until she paid the backrent," said Toothless.

"A letter came this morning with seven years worth of rent," the landlady explained. "Honestly, it's amazing what some parents will do to support their children."

The door opened and Ruby saw all of them.

"What are you guys doing?" she asked.

Astrid then approached Ruby and gave her big hug. "Hiccup, told us what happened," she said.

"We're sorry to hear about your old man," said Ragnar rubbing the back of his head. "I know the two of you weren't terribly close, but…"

"What he's trying to say is that we're here for you," said Merrill.

"Are you doing all right, Ruby?" Stormfly asked.

"I'm fine," she said smiling at all them. "Thanks, guys."

The past seven years might have left a painful mark on every member of _Dragon Tail_ , but that's okay, because they were gonna keep living this life to the fullest.


	3. Father's Memento

Many people were witnessing the destruction of the temple most of them priests as the entire temple was being burned to the ground. Standing in the middle of the destruction was a robot of some kind.

"Time ticks forward on towards inevitable chaos!" said the robot.

At that exact same moment, the Archon, the highest ranking official within the Temple of Thor awoke with a start.

"That dream… not again," he said panting. "'Time takes forward on towards inevitable… chaos.'"

* * *

"Her grave marker," said Astrid looking at Hiccup and Valka as she helped them farming. "You're pretty morbid this morning."

"Well, since Mum is still alive it a bit pointless to have enough," said Hiccup.

"And I rather not want to look at it again," said Stoick as he chop some wood.

"Then why don't you just knock it over?" Toothless asked.

"That is a bit harsh don't you think," said Valka.

"Well, the temple said it was up to us so we have time to think it through," said Hiccup.

"Well, we could leave it as a monument to the day she came back home," Stoick offered. "Though changing it might be a bit pricey."

"Speaking of the temple, this is a special time for them isn't it," said Valka.

"Yeah, I forgot I was that time again," said Hiccup.

"Yeah, the Archon is supposed to come to town, isn't he?" said Astrid.

"I've heard about that, it's some sort of pilgrimage and many people come to see the Archon just to catch a glimpse of him," said Toothless.

* * *

Meanwhile the Viking Council were having their meeting to discuss the recent attacks on the temples. They were the moment talking to a holographic image of Alistair.

"You're sure about this," said Heyral.

"Yes, I'm very sorry, sir," said Alistair apologetically. "Despite our best efforts, it appears the temple within the Har region has been burned to the ground yesterday morning."

"That made over thirty incidents," said Heyral grimly. "Yet the identity of the perpetrators still eludes you Alistair?"

"We are analysing the pieces of the building, sir. But there are no solid leads, yet."

Palan was also troubled by this revelation. "Other lands are taking notice of this as well. If we are to save face we must find and capture the culprit quickly."

"At this rate, the Honour Guard reputation will be ruined and the Council are like along with it," said Heyral. He then looked down Alistair. "Do not fail."

"Sir," Alistair bowed.

* * *

In Dragon Tail, Ruby was reading the newspaper which had the gruesome details of a Temple been burned to the ground.

"Wow, another one," said Ruby. "What gives?"

"Did something bad happen?" Brila asked as she put their lunch on the table onto the table.

"Someone has been setting fire to a lot of temples lately," said Merrill.

"That's a sadistic hobby," said Stormfly.

Ruby then looked at the picture of the Viking Council Honour Guard official and recognised the man immediately. "I know him, he worked for the Council."

"Yeah, he was the guy that arrested the _Oración Seis_ and Jella seven years ago," said Toothless looking at the picture.

"I'm more concerned with the temples being destroyed," Hiccup frowned looking over Ruby shoulder at the newspaper. "Especially with the Pilgrimage going on."

"You don't think they'll try make a move on the Archon?" Ruby asked.

Hiccup shook his head. "Doubtful, he has just as much protection as the Royal family."

"Still hard to believe that he would set temples on fire," said Toothless. "Times have changed."

"I'm having trouble catching up with everything," said Merrill.

"Not mention a seven-year catnap destroyed my _Clairvoyance_ ," Stormfly added. "The future is nothing more than fuzzy pictures to me now."

"That's not good," said Merrill.

"It is quite annoying," Stormfly agreed.

Hiccup then stood up straight sniffing the air. "That's a weird smell," he said everyone surprise.

"Hey, Ruby! You have a visitor!" Gustav's voice called over to her.

Everyone turned towards the door and found that Gustav was standing next to a woman a few years younger than Eret with dark red hair and wearing a pink dress with a white trim and a dark pink ribbon attached to it in which the top portion of the dress is a slightly lighter pink while the area below her waist has a darker shade of pink. A pink bonnet with a white trim is on her head, including a blue corsage on the left side. She also wears white stockings and little dark pink shoes. The strangest thing was she bore a strong resemblance to Ruby and she was holding a long briefcase in our hands.

"The redhead with the pigtails is the one you want," said Gustav pointing to Ruby.

"Thank you for the help, young woman," said the young woman gratefully.

"Who's that girl?" Hiccup asked looking at Ruby.

"No idea," said Ruby.

The woman then approached Ruby. "Excuse me, but are you Ruby Heartfull."

"Yes, ma'am, I'm a Heartfull, but who's asking exactly?" Ruby asked.

"Uh, I," she said awkwardly. She then suddenly cried. "How could you forget your dear Sigrid Lobster you Meany?"

"What?" Ruby stared confused.

"Overreact much," said Merrill.

"Try getting yourself out of this one, Ruby," said Hiccup.

Sigrid finally managed to calm down. "I'm so sorry, I guess I should expect you to remember me after such a long time."

"Would you like some tissues?" Brila asked awkwardly.

"How could you forget a vision like that?" said Snotlout smiling at her.

"Snotlout, I hate you," said Ruby.

"Allow me to start over," said Sigrid. "I'm Sigrid Lobster of the Lobster Clan. It's good to see you again, Big Sister Ruby."

"Hang on…" Ruby stared.

"Sister?" everyone yelled.

"Don't tell me your dad hooked up with someone else," said Toothless looking at Ruby.

"Well, the Lobsters and Heartfulls are related. Ruby and I aren't really sisters," Sigrid explained.

"I see, so your distant relative of hers," said Stormfly.

"That makes a little more sense," said Brila.

"Yeah, they do seem pretty different," Merrill admitted.

"Looks like they've got a couple of things in common," said Snotlout looking down at Sigrid breasts.

"Easy boy," said Hiccup calling him back. "Though I have to admit that this family thing is getting a bit out of hand. First it's me and Mum, then Gildarts and Agatha and now Ruby is reunited with a long lost relative."

Ruby then looked at Sigrid curiously. "Would you mind explaining why you call me Big Sister?"

"Because you're older than me silly goose," said Sigrid.

"Okay… No offence but I thought you were the one that was older," said Ruby.

"Oh, that's all right," said Sigrid dismissively.

"You two look confused," said Hiccup looking at the twins.

"How can she look old she is head little sister," said Ruffnut.

"She's on the future," said Tuffnut looking up.

"Or she's had an Age Spell put on her," said Ruffnut.

"The muttonheads forgot that we spent seven years on Cove Island," said Toothless shaking his head.

"When you take that into account it makes perfect sense," said Stormfly. "Ruby may not have aged physically, but her actual age remains unchanged so technically she's older."

The twins just stared at the Exceeds blankly.

"Guess their poor little brain can't handle it," said Hiccup shaking his head.

"That's the twins," Adelaide smiled.

Sigrid was now in tears. "At long last, I finally found you."

"Come on, don't cry," said Ruby quickly. She then looked at the briefcase she was holding. "Here, wow I take that briefcase for you."

"Oh, that's right," said Sigrid. "I'm supposed to give this to you. You're so thoughtful, Ruby."

Sigrid then dropped the briefcase and hugged Ruby. Unfortunately, the briefcase fell on her foot causing her to yell in pain. Ruby caught the briefcase which was extremely heavy, so heavy that Merrill and Brila had to help her lifted. While they were doing this Sigrid removed her shoe to tender her toes.

"The whole point of my journey was to find you to deliver that and on top of that and I have some advice for my footsies?" Sigrid asked.

"You should have saved her footsies," said Snotlout angrily at Ruby.

"So why didn't you, you jerk?" Ruby yelled back.

"This is heavy," Brilla winced.

"No kidding, is it full of cement?" said Merrill.

Hiccup and Toothless were still at the bar watching the entire thing.

"We're sure they related?" said Hiccup.

"They're both redheads, busty and have their own personal bit of crazy," Toothless shrugged. "Sounds like family to me?"

The twins nodded.

Once everyone finally calmed down they managed to place the briefcase onto a table.

"Okay, what the heck is in this thing?" Ruby asked.

"I'm not sure honestly," said Sigrid. "All I know is your father wanted you to have it." Ruby's eyes widened as he stared at her. "I was his assistant until just a short while ago and this is my last errand for him. Actually, he passed the case onto me when he was on his deathbed. So, here we are, my last assignment for Mr Magnus has come to an end."

"His final moments," said Ruby breathed. "And you are right there with him."

"He never stopped worrying about you after you went missing all those years ago, but he was sure that you were alive somewhere. It's because he held on to that hope that he asked me to find you and give you this momentum. He went peacefully as falling asleep and ever since then I've been searching for you finding you has been my sole purpose and now it's all done." She then wipe away the tears in her eyes. "I think that Mr Magnus will finally be able to rest in peace."

Ruby then looked down at the briefcase. "So, what's in it?"

"I don't know," said Sigrid honestly. "I was only told to deliver it. So, I never looked inside to see for myself."

"Thanks, Sigrid," said Ruby gratefully.

She then remain standing there staring at the briefcase.

"Are you going to open it?" Hiccup asked as he approached her. Ruby then stared at him in confusion. "Don't leave her hanging like this. Seriously, she busted her foot to get this thing here. The do is let her see it. So hurry up everyone is waiting."

"Okay," said Ruby taken aback.

Ruby then unlocks the briefcase and opened it. Sitting inside it was a strange object completely wrapped in bandages. It wasn't the most attractive of presence.

"Can close it now?" Ruby asked.

"It has a strange smell," said Hiccup.

Ruby then picked it up. "Maybe it's this cloth."

Hiccup shook his head. "No, but it has some kind of magic on it. But whatever it is it smells really old."

Stormfly then looked utterly terrified and started to back away.

"You okay, Stormfly?" Merrill asked worriedly.

"You look like you seen a ghost," said Toothless.

"Oh, it's nothing," Stormfly assured, though she didn't sound convincing.

Ruby then began to remove the cloth wrapped around it. It looked like an oversized clock, but it had an unusual design.

"Sigrid, what is this exactly?" Ruby frowned.

"I assume that it's something that Mr Magnus was fond of," said Sigrid. "Does it look familiar?"

Ruby shook head. "Not really. I don't remember seeing anything like this around the house."

"It looks like an oversized clock hand," said Hiccup picking it up. "Though I've never seen a design like this."

"I just remembered," said Sigrid clapping her hands together.

She then remain silent.

"Well, don't keep us in suspense," said Hiccup.

"You do know what it is?" Ruby asked.

"No, it's just. I remember that I haven't eaten anything in three days," she said and then her stomach growled.

"Well, that was under dramatic," said Hiccup.

* * *

Ruby then lead Sigrid to her apartment.

"It seems like a fun Guild," said Sigrid.

"You mean Dad didn't tell you about it," said Ruby rather surprised. "Dragon Tail is only the most important thing that ever happened to me."

"Actually, I knew that you were in a Guild, but you had already vanished."

Ruby sighed. "That seems to have thrown a wrench in a bunch of people's lives."

"After everything you've been through I'm surprised you remain here," said Sigrid curiously.

"Really? I wouldn't have given it up for the world," Ruby smiled. "Like I said Dragon Tail is my life. The Guild has its fair share of bad apples, but who cares. Everyone is so passionate that they love their magic the same way I love my Celestial Spirits. We would do anything for one another, we're like family."

Sigrid then came to a stop and Ruby turned to face her.

"I think Mr Magnus would be very happy that you found a home," said Sigrid.

"I like to think so too," said Ruby. "I'm glad you're here, Sigrid."

Sigrid smiled at her.

Ruby then presented her with her apartment.

"Ta-da," she said dramatically. "Welcome to Castle De Ruby, madama." Sigrid just smiled at the moment she laid eyes upon it. "You know it's because of Dad that I'm still able to call this place my home."

Once they were inside Ruby prepared lunch.

"Get comfy out prepare some tea," she said from the kitchen.

"Oh, don't trouble yourself," said Sigrid and then picked up a script for one of her novels.

"It's no trouble, trust me," Ruby assured. "I can't tell you how happy I am. I was a little when Mum died and then I lost dad in a blink of an eye. It's been pretty rough lately. Finding out that I have relatives is awesome. So are there any other Lobsters nearby, I would love to meet them sometime? Do you get to see them often?"

She then heard Sigrid cry next door.

"Don't mind me I just ramble when I'm excited," she said.

She then discovered that Sigrid had been crying, because she was reading one of her novel scripts at a particular moment.

"Keep your chin up Sven, you'll get through it somehow," she cried.

"Oh, come on," Ruby groaned. "Don't you read things without permission?"

* * *

Once Sigrid had finally calmed down they began having lunch together.

"So, how long have you wanted to be a writer, Big Sister?" Sigrid asked with her mouth full.

"You're worse than, Snotlout," Ruby sighed. "Chew or talk, it's not hard."

She then turned her attention to the strange looking ornament that her father left, unsure what to do with it.

"I really wish I knew what this thing is," she frowned. "There's no inscription or anything."

"You're so cool, I'm jealous," said Sigrid. "You've achieved one dream and now you're working on another. You're really living a charmed life, aren't you?"

Ruby rubbed the back of her head awkwardly. "You think so?"

"I do," Sigrid nodded. "It must be nice… to have a dream. On your own."

They then remain an awkward silence for a few seconds.

"So, where are you going from here?" Ruby asked.

Sigrid looked at her in an awkward way. Ruby soon realise that she had no plans to go afterwards and then she got an idea.

"Hey, why don't you stay with me for a bit?" Ruby asked. Sigrid looked at her in surprise as Ruby placed her hand over hers. "It's no trouble, really?"

"No, I don't want to be a bother," she said.

"Don't be silly," Ruby smiled. "I would love a roommate."

Sigrid stared at her. "Thank you. I promise you won't regret it, Big Sis," she said as tears began to trickle out of her eyes. "I'll find a job quick, don't worry about rent I'll be on time promise."

"It's fine," said Ruby taken aback. "I've got an idea why don't you work at the Guildhall."

"Me? Work at Dragon Tail?" Sigrid gasped.

Unbeknownst the two of them the ornament inside the cloth began to glow in a bright light.

* * *

A few days later, Sigrid was helping Brilla at the bar and everyone adored her from the moment they met. She wasn't just helping Brilla, but she performed on jobs for the rest of the Guild even doing people's hair.

Ruby was ecstatic having her around, even if she was very shy intended to keep to herself. Though she was not the most dependable worker around as she tended to trip over her own feet resulting in a catastrophe if she was holding a tray with food and drink. It also didn't help that every time she did so she burst into tears apologising, even though everyone was all right about it.

Ruby looked out for her like a big sister and in a way she helped put her act together. She began to wonder whether her father sent her her way so that she will be lonely. In truth she like to believe that.

One day, Hiccup had gathered team, minus Merrill and Stormfly, together for a job.

"We've got a job here that want us to clear some bandits," said Hiccup.

"May I come along?" Sigrid asked. "I would love to watch you work."

Ruby looked at the job request form. "Huh, I'm not sure that's a good idea."

"But I would love to see what Vikings do first-hand and you will be there to protect me," said Sigrid.

"I think she'll be fine," said Hiccup.

"Come on, Ruby, nothing is more fun than watching this team beat down some thugs," said Toothless.

"And we do guarantee satisfaction," Ragnar added.

Ruby then looked at Stoick, who was having a drink at the bar. "Master, would you talk some sense into them?"

Sigrid looked at Stoick. "Can I please go?"

"Well, it is a bit unorthodox, but Team Asgard has three S-Class Vikings so I suspect that you will be in safe hands," said Stoick.

"I don't have any objections either," said Astrid. "After all experiences isn't a bad thing. Even if that experiences forced upon to early it will still benefit them." She then raised an eyebrow at Ruby. "You know all about that Miss I'm Going On A S-Class Without Permission."

"You're not gonna let that one go are you?" said Hiccup folding his arms.

Astrid then pressed a finger on his chest. "Not as long as you live."

"Yes, Astrid, I see your point," said Ruby smiling awkwardly. She then looked at Sigrid. "All right, Sigrid, welcome to the team."

"How exciting!" said Sigrid excitedly.

"It might get pretty hairy, but stay by my side and you'll be just fine," Ruby assured.

Sigrid looked at her and gave her a small smile.

"Glad that's settled," said Hiccup. "Now let's get moving troops."

* * *

Soon they reached the location where the bandits often attacked.

"Okay, Hiccup, what's the plan?" Ragnar asked.

"We have to lure them out into the open, I suggest we use the old Trojan Horse technique," said Hiccup.

"And how do we do that?" Ruby asked.

"With this," said Astrid as she appeared with a wagon. "The client allowed us to use this."

"Good, now we need to make it look tempting," said Hiccup. "Ruby and Astrid will ride in the front and pretend to be some helpless women. Ragnar and Sigrid will be mine inside the wagon so they can spring the trap. I'll be in the sky with Toothless to get an aerial view. Once they arrive, Ruby and Astrid will cause a distraction and lure as many of the bandits as possible then me and Ragnar will pounce before we join them in a pincer movement."

"Helpless women?" said Astrid raising an eyebrow.

"I said _pretending_ to be helpless women," said Hiccup. "I very much doubt the bandits will attack a wagon with two very well-built men in the front."

"Think highly of yourselves don't you," Ruby smirked.

"So you would rather stay in the bag and take on the heavily armed bandits, would you?" Ragnar smirked.

"Uh, on second thoughts I think I'm happy sitting out in front," said Ruby quickly.

"Can I suggest something," said Sigrid.

"Yes, what is it?" Hiccup asked.

"I'm a very capable driver," said Sigrid.

Everyone then stared at her.

"You do realise that you will be in the most danger out on front," Hiccup pointed out.

"It will be dangerous," Toothless agreed.

"I know, but it makes more sense to have all the fighters in the back doesn't it?" said Sigrid. "If it would better our chances I would gladly take the reins."

"I don't know about this," said Ruby.

"She does make a fair point," said Hiccup. "Okay, you're in front, but the moment things get hairy you make it to the forest, understood."

"Understood," Sigrid nodded.

* * *

About an hour later they were making their way down the path and it in take long for the bandits to spot them.

"Looks like we've got more visitors," a bandits smirked.

"We've got a bit hull today," said the bandit leader.

Flying above them was Hiccup, who kept a bird's eye view of the wagon.

"So far so good," said Toothless.

"Were within their territory now so we should be seeing them soon," said Hiccup.

Ruby and Sigrid continue to take the wagon down the road and eventually came to a roadblock. Ruby then heard the bushes rustling.

"Here they come," she said. She then looked at Sigrid. "Don't leave my site, understand."

Sigrid nodded.

Then emerging out of the bushes with the bandits and they were a rough looking bunch.

"Can we help you gentlemen with anything?" Ruby asked.

"Well, you can give us your cargo if that's not too much bother," said the bandit leader. He then looked at Ruby and Sigrid. "Unless you lovely ladies have something more to offer."

"Just take the cargo," Ruby glared.

"You take all the fun out of this job," said the bandit leader. He then looked to his men. "Keep your eyes on them and make sure they don't make a move."

The bandit leader and some of his men made their way towards the back of the wagon, but then they were instantly frozen by itemising out of the cover. Standing there was none other than Ragnar with a large smirk on his face.

"Sorry fellas, but all we're attacking is a beating," said Ragnar.

Astrid then jumped out of the wagon and change into her _Deadly Nadder Armour_. "We're here to make sure that you don't terrorise lonely travellers anymore," she said and instantly sliced their swords to pieces.

"It's a trap!" a bandit cried.

"Grab the girls and maybe we can get them to back off!" a bandit yelled.

"Oh, you'll back off all right," said Ruby reaching for her Fleuve d'étoiles. "Take my Fleuve d'étoiles!" Unfortunately, the magical with did not activate she groaned. "Why does this always happen to me?" She then began shaking it trying to get into work. "Come on, work. Work, pretty please."

The bandits began to close in on her and Sigrid, but right at that moment Hiccup landed in front of the bandits and knocked them away with _Inferno_ which were set ablaze.

"Let's do this, bud!" Hiccup yelled.

"Right behind you," said Toothless taking on his battle form and punched the bandit right across the face.

Hiccup then places hands together forming a plasma orb. " _Fire Dragon's Plasma Blast!_ " he yelled and tossed the plasma blast at the bandits causing a massive explosion.

At the same time Ragnar froze the bandits and Astrid knocked them out cold with her blades.

"Hope that teaches you not to pick on defenceless travellers," she said.

Sigrid just stared at them all. "That was amazing. That was absolutely incredible, Big Sister," she said looking at Ruby. "I can't believe how strong you and your friends are."

Ruby was slightly disappointed due to the fact that she didn't do anything. "Thanks, but I didn't do anything."

* * *

A few moments later, Hiccup and the others turned the bandits to the authorities and received the award for capturing them.

Astrid then looked at Sigrid. "How do you like your first job?"

"It was awe-inspiring," said Sigrid. "Vikings and their Guilds are amazing."

"That's right," said Ragnar. "They can get a bit overboard at times, but there's never a dull moment."

* * *

That night at the Guild, Stoick had ordered an investigation on Sigrid in order to confirm she said who she was.

"So, did you find anything?" Stoick asked looking at Gobber.

"I had one of my contacts do it for us, Valka should be back with her report in just a bit," said Gobber. Speaking of which Valka just emerged. "Speaking of which."

"What did you find, Val?" Stoick asked.

"According to your contact, the Lobsters were a wealthy family that owned a lot of land in the Temple of Thor region townships."

"So we were worried over nothing," said Stoick.

"Hardly," said Stormfly. "There is no such thing as too cautious these days. Still this is quite a relief."

"All ya whiskers," said Gobber as he turned towards Valka. "Did you notice how, Val, said that they _were_ a wealthy family."

"Its rough stuff," said Valka. "The rest of the family was lost in a tragic accident several years ago."

"Man, rough is right," said Gobber.

"I guess that makes, Sigrid the sole survivor family member," said Stormfly.

* * *

Meanwhile Alistair was investigating yet another temple, but unlike the previous one this one had completely melted away.

"This makes no sense," he said looking at the ruined temple. "First it burns, then it collapses and now it corroding? Given the distance from each from each parish and the traces of magic left behind there's clearly more than one person involved."

Not far away was a priest who was kneeling down at the ruins.

"This can't be. It's impossible," said the priest completely distraught.

"Who is he?" Alistair asked.

"The priest," one of his men replied. "He was outside when the incident occurred."

Alistair frowned. "But the earlier reports stated that there was a body found among the wreckage."

"Yes, sir."

"So is the only man was supposed to be here is still alive where did the body come from? Is it one of the culprits?"

"We don't know, sir. He insists that no one else is here."

Unbeknownst to them the robot that destroyed the temple was looking down at them and laughed.

* * *

The next day at Berk, Ruby and Sigrid were at a cafe having lunch. In truth Sigrid wanted to talk to Ruby in private.

"I put some thought into this," said Sigrid. "And I was wondering if I could bend your ear?"

"What's up?" Ruby asked.

"I'm curious on how your guild receives its jobs," said Sigrid curiously. "Do people pay for their request to be considered."

"I think so," said Ruby.

"I would really like to know more about the memento your father left. So I'm thinking about putting in a request."

Ruby then choked on her sandwich and stared at her. "Sigrid, you're a freaking genius."

* * *

Once they return to the Guild, Ruby made the request to Stoick, who was quite surprised by this.

"This is the first," said Stoick.

"In all my years I don't think I've ever seen a Viking hire another Viking," said Gobber.

"Well, I don't see any problem with it," said Stoick. "I'll have Adelaide make a request poster for the board."

"What a great idea, Ruby," Adelaide smiled.

"Indeed, I look forward to see who takes the job," said Stoick.

Hiccup and Toothless was with Sigrid as she opened the briefcase.

"So, you're asking Dragon Tail for help," said Hiccup.

"Yep, it's approved," said Ruby.

"I'm curious about the magic on the cloth around the memento and what Mr Magnus was trying to tell Ruby," said Sigrid. "This is his very last message to her after all."

"That's a good attitude," said Hiccup. "Though I have a feeling that you might have to wait until Fishlegs shows up. He has a knack for this sort of thing."

Stormfly watched them and she drank from her cup. She can shake the feeling that something was off.

Then suddenly Sigrid tripped and dropped the memento onto the ground.

"Are you okay, Sigrid?" Ruby asked.

Then something very mysterious happened.

"Hey, look!" Ragnar pointed.

"Yes, I see it to," Astrid stared.

Everyone turned and saw the memento was now floating off the ground and spinning. He then stood up straight and ancient writing covered the metal.

"I'm seriously freaked out right now," said Ruby.

"What's with the writing?" Ragnar asked. "Is it some kind of ancient script?"

"If it is Fishlegs could read it," said Ruby.

"He left with _Shadow Gear_ this morning for a job he won't be back for a while," said Stoick. "Fenris is gone too."

"What you think is trying to tell us, Big Sister?" Sigrid asked.

"I wish I knew," said Ruby.

Hiccup looked at it. "I don't recognise the language, but it is clearly ancient."

Stoick frowned. "Listen, closely. I think you should allow sleeping dogs lie."

"What are you talking about?" Ruby asked with a firmed expression as she stood up. She then looked at the memento. "I can't. I'll solve it."

She had to for her father's sake and for hers.


	4. The Outcast

Ruby and Sigrid then spent the rest of the day doing research on the memento that Ruby's father left, but so far they found nothing.

Ruby sighed and Sigrid looked over her shoulder. "Oh, don't let it get you down, Ruby. I'm sure you can out what it means."

"Well, it won't be easy," said Ruby.

"We've taken a new job request," said Astrid as she and Ragnar approached her.

"There's some bad guys stealing gold that we need to catch and put a stop to them," said Ragnar.

"Sorry, but I'm going to pass on this one," said Ruby apologetically.

"We're having a hard time getting very far and figuring out what this inscription does," Sigrid explained.

"Where's Hiccup?" Astrid asked looking concerned.

"He's at the library helping us," said Ruby. "With Fishlegs gone is one of the few literate people here."

"If you are a man down I could accompany you," said a voice behind them. They turned and saw Heather approaching them. "We haven't really worked together as a team for ages."

"That would be most welcome, Heather," Astrid smiled.

"It's fine with me," said Ragnar.

"Of course it would be fine for you," Ruby smirked.

Heather and Ragnar then blushed slightly.

"If we hurry we might be able to get back before nightfall," said Ragnar quickly.

"Yeah, let's get going," said Heather anxiously.

Astrid shook her head as the two of them left the Guildhall. "It's gonna be an interesting trip."

* * *

Meanwhile Hiccup and Toothless were making their way back from the library with several books in their hands. They began looking through every single book about ancient inscriptions, but so far they haven't found anything.

"Let's hope the answer is somewhere in these," said Hiccup. "I've practically used up my library card."

"The soon Fishlegs get back the better," said Toothless, who was in his battle form.

* * *

Not to faraway in the forest was Alvin, he had been in Berk for quite some time but had made his presence known to those in the Guild. Then a particularly large orc appeared in front of him blocking his path.

"What do you want," Alvin demanded.

"No one goes into my forest without my permission," said the orc.

"Last time I checked this forest didn't belong to anyone," Alvin glared.

"Typical humans, you think you can just wander around without a care in the world, but you will soon learn that this consequences of those actions," said the orc.

"Wow, I didn't know orc can use those many words," Alvin smirked.

"You've got a big mouth," said the orc angrily raising his fist. "Perfect for my big fist."

Alvin then created an electrical barrier around him. "You're in for the shock of your life."

Then before he knew at the orc were struck by lightning and roared in pain. The lightning was so fierce that it could be seen for miles and Hiccup, Eret and Thunder Legion saw it instantly.

"No way," said Eret.

"I know what that means," said Hiccup.

"Huh, what are you talking about?" Toothless asked, who hadn't noticed the lightning.

"Alvin is here," said Hiccup.

"What?" Toothless stared.

"I'm positive it's him, I was wondering where he ran off to," said Hiccup. "I guess he picked the wrong neighbourhood."

"But Stoick didn't let him back into the Guild, did he?" Toothless frowned. "I wonder what he's doing around here."

"I'm going to find out," said Hiccup and gave the book to Toothless. "Take these back to the girls."

Toothless then watched as Hiccup ran into the forest to where he saw the lightning struck. He ran through the trees and then he saw Eret was running next to him.

"You saw the lightning too, huh?" said Hiccup.

"A bit hard to miss," said Eret.

"Don't suppose you have any idea why Alvin is still here?" Hiccup asked.

"Not a clue," said Eret.

They soon came to a sudden stop when they saw Alvin standing there next to the burnt corpse of an orc.

"Great, idea with one annoyance and I get two," Alvin sighed.

"What did you expect when you shoot lining out of the middle of nowhere," said Hiccup.

"Alvin!" three voices cried.

They turned and saw the Thunder Legion emerging out of the forest staring at him. They then noticed Hiccup and Eret standing there.

"It would seem as if he is not alone either," said Fenris.

"What's going on?" Dogsbreath asked.

"There's nothing going on here," said Alvin dismissively. He then looked at Hiccup and Eret. "Is there?"

"Have you been living out in the woods this entire time?" Hiccup asked.

"I travelled around quite a bit, but I've been here for a little while," Alvin shrugged.

"If you're this close he might as well return to the Guild already," Eret suggested.

"Why is that?" Alvin asked raising an eyebrow. "Are you guys missing me?"

"I would have for that you would at least want to see Ragnar, he's your son isn't he?" said Hiccup.

"Like I was ever there for," said Alvin dismissively. "I think you would know a few things about that."

"Look I might be able to convince my dad to have you re-join the Guild," said Hiccup.

"Don't bother, we both know that your father is a stubborn one," said Alvin dismissively.

"I think that you have your own brand of stubbornness," said Eret.

"I appreciate your involvement, but I'm not going to waste my breath with Stoick when he's already made up his mind," said Alvin.

"Alvin, I do you for saving me in my team on Cove Island at least let me repay it," said Hiccup.

"Alvin, at least let him try," said Fenris with an almost pleading look.

"It couldn't hurt," said Dogsbreath.

"Besides it's not like it could get any worse," Rubbella pointed out.

Alvin looked at Hiccup. "If you want to waste your time with arguing with your father be my guest, but I'm telling you he won't change his mind."

* * *

Hiccup and Eret return to the Guildhall to inform everyone that they had seen Alvin.

"So, Alvin is still here," said Gobber looking quite surprised.

"I'm surprised he hasn't shown himself," said Spitelout.

Hiccup looked at Stoick. "Dad, can't you bring him back into the Guild? I mean I know why you kicked him out, but he did save my life and my team."

"And I appreciate it," said Stoick. "However, one good deed doesn't make up what he attempted to do."

"Don't you think you're being a bit harsh," Stoick," said Valka looking at him. "The two of you were best friends, surely you could rekindle what you lost."

"You could at least give the man a place to stay other than in a tent," said Eret.

"I do think that you are being a bit harsh, Master," said Adelaide.

"Yeah, he is more than made up for the coup," said Snotlout folding his arms.

"Enough!" Stoick roared. "I am sticking to my original decision and nothing you can say can this wait me about."

Everyone went silent when Stoick made his way outside.

"At least you tried," said Eret looking at Hiccup.

"I think the two of them are too stubborn for their own good," Hiccup sighed.

"Look who's talking about stubbornness," Gobber chuckled. "You're the most stubborn Viking I've ever known."

"Is that surprising, he is Stoick and Valka's son after all," said Adelaide.

"True, the two of them were possibly the most stubborn Vikings in history," Spitelout laughed.

"You do realise were standing right here, right," said Valka.

Everyone then laughed.

* * *

It was late at night and Astrid, Ragnar and Heather had reached the shack of the bandits were using a hideout.

"Looks like were camping out tonight," said Ragnar. He then looked at Astrid. "There goes making back home until nightfall."

"I admit I miscalculated," said Astrid. "The hideout was far harder to find and I originally thought."

"At least we found it," said Heather. "Now all we have to do is just wait for their return with the stolen gold in hand."

"Yeah, you're right," Ragnar nodded.

Astrid looked at Ragnar and Heather and looked to their canteens. "There's a river close by, I'll refill canteens."

"You sure you have to do that now?" Ragnar asked.

"If they arrive I'll be able to catch up with you," Astrid assured and left them.

This left Ragnar and Heather completely alone in the two of them looked at each other awkwardly. The truth was neither one of them knew how to talk to the other and the mess about Lyon didn't help.

"Nice night," said Heather looking at the night sky.

"It's lovely," Ragnar nodded. He then looked at Heather. "I hear that I you to thank for saving my life." Heather looked at him blankly. "You know at Cove Island."

Heather blushed slightly she had completely forgotten that the two of them had been linked to one another thanks to Orara's magic. In an attempt to kill Ragnar, Orara and linked the two of them together with her magic then she did the same to Heather.

"I had to injure myself and therefore you to save you," Heather reminded.

"It was either that or have our heads cut off," said Ragnar.

"But I allowed Drago to escape," said Heather.

"From what I understood Drago could have killed you, I'm just thankful that he didn't get around to it," said Ragnar and then unconsciously he placed his hand over hers. "I don't know what I would have done without you."

Heather blushed slightly. "You certainly know how to charm a girl."

"It's just a shame that you didn't make S-Class," said Ragnar.

"I was up against Astrid and she is not want to pull any punches."

"Still the two of you seem to be get along, your like best friends aren't you?"

"Yeah, and she's given me some good advice."

"What kind of advice? How to maintain weapons and armour?" Ragnar joked.

Heather laughed. "No, but I can't tell you its private girl talk."

They then looked at the night sky and Ragnar felt Heather's head resting on his shoulder which made him quite awkward. Thankfully, he was safe when Astrid returned with the canteens.

"I just saw them coming," she said.

Immediately Ragnar and Heather pulled away from one another, blushing slightly, they looked down from the cliff.

"Let's get going," said Ragnar.

"Right behind you," said Heather.

As they made their way down to the cabin, Astrid pulled Heather towards her.

"So, did you do it?" she asked.

"No," she said. "We just have to take it slowly. The situation completely different with how you and Hiccup started a relationship."

"You mean, he hasn't rescued you from a madman, who used to have a crush on, and save you from being disintegrated," she said.

"I said your relationship with Hiccup is completely different."

* * *

Eventually they reached the cabin where the bandits were approaching with large bags over their shoulders.

"Stop right there," said Astrid.

The bandits turned and saw them.

"Yeah, says how?" said one of the bandits.

"I'm Astrid Hofferson, a Viking from Dragon Tail," said Astrid dramatically.

"You really did have to take the question so literally, you know," said Ragnar.

"They asked," Astrid shrugged.

Heather then step forwards. "We've been sent here to retrieve what you've stolen from our client."

Astrid then summoned her battle axe. "I would surrender if I were you, because we don't take prisoners."

The bandits in looked threatened one bit and merely laughed.

"We thought they might someone so we hired ourselves some bodyguards," a bandit laughed. "All right guys, we're giving you a pretty big chunk of the loot so you better deal with the Dragon pests."

The bandits then stepped away to reveal the two bodyguards they are high. They might change their hairstyles a bit, but Astrid recognised the description. These were the mercenaries that Hiccup mentioned that were guarding Lord Alfrid's mansion. Magnus and Olaf, the Vanish Brothers.

"Nice night for battle," said Magnus.

"Too bad you're up against the Vanish Brothers," said Olaf. "Let's make this quick."

"So you're the Vanish Brothers, Hiccup told me about you," said Astrid.

"Yeah, you're the same guys that Hiccup beat the crap out of back at Lord Alfrid's place," said Ragnar.

"You're talking about ancient history, pal," said Olaf. "We've been training non-stop since that day. At the level we're at now taking on the mighty Astrid Hofferson sounds like a walk in the park."

"Hiccup was right to say that you are arrogant," said Astrid she then looked at them distastefully. "Tell me, how much power could one have with no loyalty whatsoever."

"Hiccup two of you guys down without batting an eyelash and this time you're up against three Dragon Tail Vikings," said Heather.

"I can take these guys all by myself," said Ragnar taking a step forward. "No need for you two ladies to dirty your hands on this scum."

Olaf narrowed his eyes. "Oh, yeah."

"Hiccup had no problem, so it'll be just as easy for me," said Ragnar.

"Big bro, I think this guy is mocking us," said Olaf.

"You shouldn't let it get to you," said Magnus. "Remember this is just business, there's no need to take things personally."

"And our job is to cave in his skull, right?"

"Yes, so let's get to work."

"I'll put you on ice," said Ragnar as an icy aura surrounded him.

Magnus then raised his frying pan. "It would seem as if this one is an Ice Viking. Although my frying pan is perfectly suited to absorb fire attacks, I'm sure that I will prove to be even easier."

" _Ice-Make: Lance!_ " Ragnar yelled and unleashed a burst of ice directly at them.

However, when they struck the frying pan they were completely absorbed. "It will trap it, double its strength and send it right back to you," said Magnus as he flipped the frying pan in the other direction.

Suddenly a powerful burst of energy exited out of the frying pan and headed straight towards Ragnar.

"You think you can hit me with that?" Ragnar smirked and he jumped into the air dodging the attack.

He then unleashed another burst of ice directly at them and this time it was their time to jump out of the way.

"Impressive," said Magnus.

"Let's give him double trouble," said Olaf.

When they landed back onto the ground, Magnus extended his frying pan and Olaf landed on top of it. A few seconds later, Magnus tossed Olaf high up into the air.

" _Valhalla and Midgard Annihilation Technique!_ " Magnus yelled.

Ragnar then turned his eyes upon Olaf and Magnus made his move. "Look towards _Valhalla_ —" He then slammed his frying pan right at Ragnar. "And we strike from _Midgard_!"

Ragnar managed to held his ground as he skidded across the ground looking at Magnus. However, this left him completely vulnerable to Olaf who was heading straight down towards him.

"Look towards Midgard—" said Olaf and slammed his two fists directly at Ragnar driving him into the ground. "And we strike from _Valhalla_!"

Olaf then jumped back and landed on the frying pan which Magnus was extending.

"Very few have survived," said Olaf and Magnus tossed him into the air again. Ragnar recovered to see the two of them were now attacking in unison this time. "Our ultimate combination attack."

They then started to attack Ragnar ferociously again and again leaving Astrid and Heather quite worried. It was true that Hiccup had defeated them once, but that was seven years ago made concerned that they truly had improved.

Heather was about to move to support him, but Ragnar looked back at them. "I've got this okay!" Heather stopped and Ragnar then began to remove his shirt. "You talk a big game, but I feel just fine."

"Nonsense!" the two brothers yelled as they performed their attack once again. "Prepare to die!"

"You may have Valhalla and Midgard, but let's see how you deal with Niflheim," said Ragnar as he created a pair of twin swords. " _Ice Bringer!_ "

He then knocked Magnus aside as he made his way towards Olaf.

"Not a chance," he said as he slammed his frying pan towards him.

The two of them began trading blows with one another, neither one of them giving an inch. However, Ragnar finally managed to get past his guard and struck him and he fell right next to his unconscious brother.

Astrid smiled making note that Ragnar had improved over the years as well or months depending on your perspective.

"I'm surprised you took that long to beat them," she said.

Ragnar shrugged. "I wanted to have a little fun too."

Naturally with the defeat of their bodyguards that let the bandit completely at the mercy and soon found themselves in chains made by Ragnar.

"Let's get this gold back to our client and head back home," said Astrid.

"We can drop these goons with the authorities on our way," said Heather.

* * *

At Berk, Hiccup was doing some training behind the Guildhall. With the premises of the old Guildhall now sees they no longer had a training arena so they had to make a makeshift one.

Hiccup was trading blows with a karate training dummy hitting the wooden poles was with his arms.

"You're really going at it," said Toothless.

"Can't lose my edge," said Hiccup. "Don't forget we've been asleep for seven years."

"Good point," said Toothless. "I've heard from Skullcrusher that Eret has gone on his own somewhere without him."

"That doesn't sound like, Eret," Hiccup frowned as he brushed off the sweat off his brow. "Normally those to train together like mad."

Toothless shrugged. "These no understanding that guy."

"True," Hiccup nodded. "But I suppose that one of the few things that made him well suited for the Guild."

"We an odd bunch," Toothless agreed. He then looked at Hiccup. "Do you think that Stoick will turn over the Guild you?"

"I don't know," said Hiccup honestly. "He may be my Dad, but sometimes I barely understand him. I maybe an S-Class Viking now, but I think he wants me to gain some more experience before he hands the Guild down to me. Plus doesn't want to make it look like a monarchy, what kind of message you think that will send?"

"I suppose you have a point," Toothless nodded. "But from where I'm sitting I think that you would make a fine Guild Master."

Hiccup laughed. "I'm not sure that's something that I would want. I like going on adventures seeing new places and meeting new people, I like going off into the unknown and meeting new dangers."

"Well, let's hope the next person in charge isn't Snotlout," said Toothless. "If that happens I might have to quit the Guild."

"Somehow I think what a lot of people will," Hiccup laughed.

* * *

Stoick meanwhile was walking through the forest and then eventually found a small little camp and also there with him was the Thunder Legion. They're sitting near fire was Alvin roasting some fish.

"So, you found me, huh," said Alvin without looking at him.

"Hiccup told me you were camping in the forest and insisted that I have you re-join the Guild," said Stoick.

Alvin sighed. "That son of yours likes to make things difficult doesn't take? Mind you considering whose son he is that's not entirely surprising." He then turned his head to look at Stoick. "I take it that you haven't reconsidered."

Stoick just stood there in silence which was the only answer that Alvin needed.

Fenris then got his feet and looked at Stoick. "Master, has his expulsion with the Guild lasted long enough? Take him back."

Stoick and Alvin just looked at each other in silence neither one letting on what they were thinking.

* * *

Meanwhile Fishlegs had finally returned to Berk and was at the Ruby's apartment with Sigrid to help decipher the inscriptions on the memento.

"Oh, cool," said Fishlegs excitedly. "This is written in Ancient Norse."

"Ancient Norse?" Sigrid blinked.

"It's the language we used before the Dragon Wars," said Fishlegs. "After the war we began making a new form of Norse writing. Very few people actually speak this ancient form of Norse."

"So now that you figure that out do you know what it says?" Ruby asked.

"'Time ticks forward, on towards inevitable chaos,'" he read.

"'Time ticks forward…'" said Ruby.

"'On towards inevitable chaos,'" Sigrid finished.

"Sounds familiar," said Ruby folding her arms. "I know I've heard it somewhere before."

"You have?"

Ruby then closer her eyes to think. "Yeah, but where?"

She then began looking around through the books they had gathered on the subject hoping for another clue.

"It's not this one. Or this," she said. She then found the book. "He it is! I found it!"

She then returned to the table and opened it up. "It is in here. That spooky phrase. I was sure that I read it somewhere before and it in this book."

"What's the book about?" Fishlegs asked.

"Well, let me say," said Ruby looking through it. "Basically it's about an old clock that passes from one owner to the next over a long period of time and a lot of mysterious things happen around it throughout its history." Her eyes then widened. "Whoa, I think I get it guys."

"What you mean?" Sigrid asked.

"Check out this picture," Ruby pointed at the picture in the book.

Everyone gasped when they saw it.

"This isn't just some random object," said Ruby. "Hiccup was right, it is the hand of a clock, a big one."

* * *

Later that evening, the exceeds were at the Guildhall.

"Still no sign of Eret?" said Cloudjumper.

"Not a peep," said Skullcrusher angrily. "Why would he run off from me like that? I thought we were supposed to be partners."

"It is strange," Toothless agreed.

Stormfly then heard footsteps outside. "I hear someone coming."

Quickly the exceeds rush outside, but then just stared when he saw three figures approaching them.

"I don't believe it," said Skullcrusher.

Standing right in front of them was Viggo, Ryker and Valyya stood in front of them.


	5. Target: Ruby

Standing on a giant octopus was a muscular old man holding the staff in his hand. The octopus was making its way to Berk by sea and appeared to be rather restless.

"You're certainly restless tonight, Kanaloa," the old man noted. "I understand, but you won't have to wait much longer. It's coming soon, our Holy War and all those who oppose us will perish."

* * *

The Exceeds were still staring blankly at Viggo, Ryker and Valyya. Then that's when they noticed that Valyya was an elf much to their surprise.

"Who are you?" Skullcrusher demanded. He then noticed Valyya and his eyes widened. "Valyya, but that's impossible!"

"Hold on, Skullcrusher, you don't think she come to this world do you?" Stormfly asked sceptically.

"She's right," said Toothless. "In case you fail to notice she's an elf."

"Then these must be the Midgard versions of Viggo, Ryker and Valyya," said Cloudjumper. "Suppose we shouldn't be surprised. If Hiccup and the others had counterparts here then their counterparts would be here."

"The interesting," said Viggo looking at them. "So the rumours that your guild ventured into power world are true. Then I can understand your confusion upon seeing us."

"Definitely sounds like, Viggo," said Couldjumper.

"Yeah, we've never met any of you so how are you lot just shut up," said Valyya harshly.

"Definitely not the same, Valyya we bet in Edolas," said Toothless.

At that point Hiccup and the other members of the Guild arrived.

"Well, I say we got time for one more drink before we call it a night," said Hiccup.

"I'm down with that," said Snotlout.

"I still wonder where, Eret ran off to," said Merrill looking deeply worried.

"Guys, we've got visitors," said Wartihog.

"Oh, customers," said Adelaide cheerfully.

Hiccup and Merrill's eyes widened upon seeing them.

"Isn't that girl, from Edolas," Merrill stared.

"Yeah, I think her name was Valyya, but she definitely didn't have pointy ears," said Hiccup. He then looked at Viggo and Ryker. "And I definitely remember those two, Viggo and Ryker Grimborn."

Ruby then arrived at the briefcase with the clock hand along with Fishlegs and Sigrid. She then stared at Valyya with her eyes wide.

"Valyya!" she stared. "Long time no see, but how did you get to Midgard from Edolas."

"I'm afraid you're quite mistaken, Miss," said Viggo. "We are not the same people you met in Edolas seven years ago."

"And soon you're going to learn that were not quite so friendly," said Ryker.

"Let's finish this out before they invite us to stay for dinner," said Valyaa.

"So, they're not the same people we met in Edolas," said Hiccup folding his arms. "Though I am curious to know why you're here."

"If you folks aren't here to hire us," said Wartihog.

"Then you can march right back to where you came from," said Phlegma.

"We aren't taking orders from Guild rats like you," said Ryker narrowing his eyes.

"What you did you say?" Hiccup glared.

"I'm only saying this once, so listen," said Viggo. "I demand that you give me Ruby Heatfull immediately."

Ruby began to panic.

"There's no point hiding her from us," said Valyaa.

"We know that she's part of your Guild," said Viggo.

"Make it easy for yourselves and hand her over now," said Ryker.

Fishlegs and Sigrid then leaned over to Ruby and began to whisper to her.

"What's going on here?" Fishlegs asked looking at Ruby.

"Why are these rude people looking for you?" Sigrid asked.

"Believe me, I wish I knew why," said Ruby.

"You've got some nerve showing right out of the blue and disrespecting us like this," Spitelout glared.

"As Acting Guild Master, I'm decline your request," said Gobber. "So I suggest that you get out of here. We're not known for our patients when it comes to cocky punks."

"Especially when those punks are shouting orders," said Wartihog added. "Rubs us the wrong way you know."

"Like we would run from kids, old men, women and their cats," said Viggo.

Brila's eyes widened. "All those temples that have been burnt down over the past few weeks. It's you, you're behind them."

"Makes sense to me," said Stormfly folding her paws.

"Even without proof the timing is too convenient," said Skullcrusher.

"Especially after what Ruby received from her father," Cloudjumper added.

"They must be the culprits," Toothless agreed.

"Playing the blame game are we?" Ryker grunted.

"Well, I'm not playing," said Valyya looking annoyed.

"Let them keep playing, it'll help them sleep better at night," said Viggo calmly. He then looked at them with a firmed expression. "Now hand over Heartfull before we start to get nasty with you."

"I think I'll start," said Ryker and drew out his sword. The blade then began to glow and something began to ooze out of him. "Let's see how you handle my slime."

"What the?" Fishlegs stared looking disgusted.

"My lunch is coming back up," Ruby groaned.

"Looks tasty to me," said Sigrid.

The slime then started to make their way towards them and they began to panic.

"What is this staff?" Wartihog yelled as he and Phlegma found themselves surrounded by the slime.

"It looks similar to Mulch's magic," said Phlegma.

Snotlout then charged straight towards them and go out of the slime. Unfortunately, the slime appeared to have grabbed him and started pulling into it.

"Hey! Stupid slime!" Snotlout yelled as it covered in head to toe.

Adelaide and the twins then quickly ran towards him.

"Hang on!" Adelaide yelled.

"We're coming to the rescue!" Ruff and Tuff yelled in unison

"No, stay back! It'll grab you!" Snotlout yelled.

Suddenly without warning the slime started to expand and ensnared Adelaide and the twins. To make matters worse the slime appeared to be weakening them somehow they were unable to break free.

"I can't move," said Adelaide.

"This is disgusting, it's like swimming through Tuffnut's snot," said Ruffnut.

"Only my snot is far more comfortable," said Tuffnut.

Stormfly and Skullcrusher had managed to grab Merrill and flew her to safety just in time.

"What's it doing to them?" she asked.

"It appears to have a will of its own," said Skullcrusher.

"Well, whatever it is don't let it touch you run away!" Stormfly yelled.

Everyone started to run in different directions to avoid getting ensnared by the slime.

Suddenly Valyya appeared right behind Gobber and Spitelout out of nowhere.

"You're the Acting Guild Master, correct?" she said. "Unless you want them to get hurt your hand over Ruby Heartfull now!"

She then performed a powerful sidekick, but Gobber blocked it. She then performed a few more kicks, but they were blocked yet again by Gobber.

"Beating up kids isn't my style," said Gobber.

"Who the heck are you calling a kid?" Valyya glared.

Spitelout that appeared out of nowhere with the beast arm and swung it towards her. She managed to dodge it just in time along with the other swing he swung.

"This isn't the time to go soft on us, Gobber," he said. "These guys are the enemy!"

"I know that!" Gobber roared.

He then extended his hand the prosthetic and let loose a barrage of _Purple Flares_ at Valyya. However, she dodged every single one of them and landed on the watchtower completely unscathed.

"Sorry old-timer, but attacks like that can't hit me," she smirked.

"Nimble little minx, don't you think?" said Gobber.

"Don't act so impressed," Spitelout glared.

Gustav then started tossing his own _Purple Flares_ at her, but yet again she dodged them.

"Get back here!" he yelled.

Valyya then ran across the Guildhall and Gustav continue to attack, but ended up damaging the Guildhall instead. It was only stopped by Gobber and Spitleout, who grabbed his arms.

"Stop it!" Gobber ordered.

"You're going to knock it down, kid," said Spitelout.

Then suddenly they were ensnared by the slime from Ryker. Wartihog was using his _Sand Magic_ and Phlegma was using her _Wood-Make Magic_ to protest the slime back.

"Oh no, the slime got them too," said Phlegma.

"Crap, and they've got us start playing defence back here," Wartihog cursed.

Ruby, Fishlegs and Sigrid were running away from the slime as quickly as they could.

"What's with that stuff?" Fishlegs yelled. "It keeps getting bigger."

"Some on help us!" Ruby cried.

" _Fire Dragon's Plasma Barrage!_ " Hiccup's voice yelled.

Suddenly dozens of plasma blast soared over their head and collided with the slime pushing it back. Ruby then saw Hiccup jumping over them and continued firing plasma blast that the slime.

"I've got this!" he yelled.

"Be careful!" Merrill yelled from the watchtower.

Stormfly and Skullcrusher had placed her there for safety.

"Just stay where you are, child," said Stormfly.

Viggo shook his head. "I was expecting a lot more," he said.

"At least this makes our job a lot easier," said Ryker.

"Guild Vikings are pushovers," said Valyya landing next to the two of them. "I don't see the appeal."

Skullcrusher just couldn't believe this was Valyya. The Valyya he knew poured violence is richly made her ill.

"I think that's enough," said Ryker and the slime began to retreat back towards him.

Everyone I was trapped inside was now extremely weak and barely able to move. Wartihog and Phlegma too were exhausted from holding back the slime. Plus Hiccup's constant attacks against it had weakened him considerably.

"Game set and match," said Valyya. "You ready to give up yet?"

"Damn," Wartihog cursed.

"I'm running low on magic," said Phlegma panting.

"They weren't there strong last time," said Toothless.

"That's because these people are completely different to the ones you met in Edolas.

"They're the Viggo, Ryker and Valyya are the ones that lived in Midgard from the very beginning," said Stormfly.

"And unlike their counterparts they are able to use magic," Cloudjumper added.

"Yeah, Edolas contained our crazy counterpart as well," said Merrill.

"Guess, we should have expected to run into someone sooner or later," said Ruby.

"You're wasting too much time, Ruby," said Viggo looking at all them. "Hurry up or we'll show your little friends what we're really capable of."

Fishlegs looked at Ruby. "Don't listen to them, Ruby," he pleaded.

"You can't give yourself up," said Sigrid.

"They still don't know who Ruby is yet," Hiccup panted as he rose to his feet. "Fishlegs, take the girls and get out of here and by my father. Just don't keep me waiting long."

"We can't," said Ruby.

"We'll stay and fight with you," said Fishlegs.

"I wouldn't leave if I were you," said Viggo.

Gustav got to his feet and managed to channel as much magic as he could into his palm. "Hiccup, take this!" he yelled and tossed a purple flame at him.

Hiccup caught it. "Thanks, Gustav."

He then ate the flame and felt his power recharged, his hands then went to ablaze.

"Now I'm recharged and ready to fight," said Hiccup. He then combined his hands together and said the burst of flame towards the three of them. "Take this!"

"Using _Fire Magic_ , he's just made the biggest mistake of his life," Viggo smiled. He then raised his right hand with a way ring with an emerald embedded in it. " _Controlling Art!_ "

Then suddenly the flames headed straight towards Wartihog and Phlegma much to everyone's surprise.

"He attacked them," said Sigrid as she, Ruby and Fishlegs ran.

"But why?" Fishlegs frowned.

Ruby's eyes widened. "Wait a minute, is he…"

"Take this!" Hiccup yelled and fired his breath attack at them.

"I do not think so," said Viggo raising his ring yet again.

Suddenly Hiccup found himself turning around towards Ruby and the others. His breath attack slammed right into them sending them flying. Fishlegs was hit so hard that he slammed right into the cliff and Ruby and Sigrid found themselves sprawling across the ground.

"Oh, no!" Hiccup gasped.

Viggo then chuckled. "Nothing like a bit of friendly fire. Give us Ruby or the rest of your Guild will get cooked."

Suddenly a stone hit him in the head, he turned and saw that it was Brila, who had several stones in her arm.

"Bad move, girl," said Ryker. "You've just found yourself in a world hurt."

"Indeed," Viggo glared. "I'm going to make you suffer."

"Runaway, Brila!" Toothless yelled as he, Skullcrusher and Cloudjumper flew down towards them.

Valyya then appeared nowhere and kicked them hard.

"So the kitties want to play," she said.

Merrill then jumped down from the watchtower. " _Sea Dragon's Tsunami Claw!_ " she roared unleashing a powerful fist of water and set it straight down towards them.

"Bad move, kid," said Viggo raising his ring again.

Suddenly the water struck Hiccup sending him flying.

"Hiccup!" Merrill cried.

"It's because of that ring," said Toothless.

"You may be right," said Stormfly. "Perhaps you can take control of people."

Ruby got up and saw that the briefcase was gone, she turned and saw that it landed a few feet away on the memento was hanging out of it. She had to do something and began to reach for her keys. Normally she would have used her _Fleuve d'étoiles_ that Virgo gave her, but for some reason it still wasn't working.

Hiccup was on the ground, soaking wet and completely exhausted.

"I'm so sorry," said Merrill apologetically.

"Don't sweat it," Hiccup winced.

"Man, that slime really took it out of me," said Snotlout looking completely exhausted.

"I can't move," Ruffnut groaned.

"This is so unfair," Tuffnut grumbled.

Adelaide then looked at the others. "Oh no, everyone else is drained too."

"I can barely stand up," said Wartihog as he helped support Phlegma.

"All of our magic power was sapped away," said Phlegma.

"What do you want with Ruby?" Skullcrusher demanded.

"None of your business, fleabag," Valyya snapped.

"Show yourself my dear and we can leave this unpleasantness behind," said Viggo.

Ruby looked at them and then got feet. "Just stop it!" she demanded. "You have what you want now. Okay…"

"I'm the Ruby Heartfull you're looking for," said Sigrid completely out of nowhere.

Ruby's eyes widened and stared at her.

"You, huh," said Ryker folding his arms.

"Be a good girl and come here," said Viggo.

Sigrid then started to make her way towards them.

"Don't do this," Ruby pleaded.

"I think there's been enough violence for one day," she said. She then looked at the three of them. "What exactly do you want with me?"

"She certainly matches the description," said Ryker. "She certainly looks like someone whose playhouse in the Heartfull Mansion."

"She certainly does look the part," Valyya agreed.

"I have to admit I was expecting someone with a less intelligent look," Viggo admitted.

Ruby felt completely mortified upon hearing this.

Viggo then folded his arms behind his back and gave Sigrid a curious look. "Ruby Heartfull, once the daughter of the Heartfull Concern and now a Celestial Viking for the Dragon Tail Guild. That's about right?"

"Indeed, that is correct," said Sigrid while Ruby just stared at her blankly. "I am the girl which you speak."

"Have to admit, this is a new one," said Hiccup.

"Certainly a plot twist," Toothless agreed.

Ruby then step forward. "This is ridiculous! I'm the real Ruby Heartfull!"

Valyya stared at her.

Sigrid then grabbed Ruby's hand. "Miss Sigrid, it means the world that you're willing to protect me from them but it's far too late for such a deception to help us now."

"Have you gone completely crazy?" Ruby yelled.

Sigrid then began to cry. "They're so perceptive I'm sure they'll figure it out instantly. And I hate for anything to happen to you on my account." She then looked at Ruby with a pleading look. "Please don't be a hero!"

"She's not bad, but her performance is a little over the top," said Adelaide.

"Hang on, Sigrid was the real Ruby all this time?" Tuffnut blinked.

Ruffnut hit him on the head. "Idiot, she's pretending to be Ruby."

"Now I'm confused," said Snotllout.

"I'm telling you I'm Ruby Heartfull," said Sigrid waving at Viggo and the others.

"Don't listen to her, I'm Ruby Heartfull!" Ruby yelled.

The two of them began yelling trying to convince the three of them that they were the real Ruby.

"Now what?" Valyya asked looking at Viggo.

"The real Ruby is supposed to be over 20 years old, isn't that right?" Ryker asked. "Isn't pigtails over there a little on the young side."

Sigrid nodded.

"That's because we spent seven years sealed away on an island!" Ruby yelled.

"Ruby! Get back, I'll make sure they don't lay a finger on you," said Hiccup getting to his feet and looking at Merrill.

Merrill got the idea. "Right, because I'm Ruby."

"You mean her name is Ruby too?" Valyya stared.

Everyone else got the idea as well.

"You ready for another round, Ruby?" Wartihog asked looking at Phlegma.

"Yep!" Phlegma nodded. "Let's do this!"

"What's going on here?" Ryker demanded.

Ruby just stared at everyone. "I don't believe," she breathed.

"How wonderful," said Sigrid brushing a tear out of her eye.

"I can't tell which is the real one! What are we going to do?" Valyya cried in a panic.

Viggo was looking quite annoyed. "They're trying to confuse us."

"Is your magic back to Ruby?" Adelaide asked looking at Ruffnut.

"Yep, and ready to kick butt, Ruby!" Ruffnut nodded.

"This is ridiculous," said Ryker grinding his teeth.

"We'll just have to capture them all and then sort them out later," said Viggo.

"Understood," said Ryker as he drew his sword.

Then his line began to exit out of his body, but then Hiccup jumped into the air.

"You're not going anywhere," said Hiccup as he created a plasma orb in his hands. " _Fire Dragon's Plasma Blast!_ "

The blast struck the slime, but then emerging out of the explosion was a piece of it and it wrapped around Hiccup's chest.

"Ruby, leave now!" Hiccup ordered.

"No," said Ruby quietly.

Sigrid then grabbed her arm. "Let's go. He's distracting them, this is our chance to slip away unnoticed," she said.

Hiccup was then pinned to the ground by the slime and Merrill unleashed her dragon roar upon them and Wartihog and Phlegma started to channel their magic as well. Snotlout, Adelaide and the twins were engaging Vayyla with hand-to-hand combat.

"Guys, I'm sorry," said Ruby to herself as they ran away from the Guild. "And thank you."

Ruby was still holding the clock hand in our hands which started to glow. Unfortunately, this didn't go unnoticed by Viggo.

"You say that, Valyya," he said looking at the young girl.

"We've got runners," Valyya smiled.

"After them," Viggo ordered.

"On it," she said and ran towards Ruby and Sigrid.

"We're just getting started," said Gobber.

Then he, Gustav and Fishlegs use their fire spells and by the straight at Valyya.

" _Free Run!_ " She yelled and then jumped over their attacks.

"She's airborne," Gustav said as she spun over their heads.

She then landed perfectly on the click behind them at a ninety degree angle.

"8, 9 and 10 points," she said.

"What she do?" Spitelout asked.

"It looks like _Free Run_ ," said Fishlegs.

Gobber nodded as they watched her run up the cliff. "It is a special _Athletic Magic_ it was banned because so many Vikings got hurt using it."

"I'll weigh her down," said Fishlegs. " _Solid Script: Iron!_ "

Then suddenly appearing out of thin air was the word iron made completely of iron.

"I don't think so," said Viggo raising his finger.

Then suddenly the iron was landed right on top of Gobber and the others much to Fishlegs dismay.

" _Sand Slash!_ " Wartihog yelled and created a splash of sand.

" _Wood-Make:_ _Violent Approach!_ " Phlegma yelled in our hands together and sending a large wooden ball of spikes at them.

"Nice try," said Ryker and raised his sword for his line to grab the two attacks.

Then to their bewilderment this line began to exhort them into itself.

"We didn't even phase it," said Wartihog.

"It's just too strong," said Phlegma.

Hiccup frowned slightly. "They're powerful all right."

* * *

Meanwhile Ruby and Sigrid have found themselves in the forest and were resting after running for quite some time.

"They don't seem to be following us so I think we should just trying to find out where you're Master went," said Sigrid looking behind the tree hiding behind.

"Yeah, good idea," Ruby agreed. She then narrowed her eyes at Sigrid. "But first you want to tell me what crazy stunt was back there about."

"Uh, you were in danger I was only trying to help you out," said Sigrid taken aback.

"I'm a Celestial Viking, Sigrid," Ruby reminded place in the clock hand against the tree. "If they caught me I could have been able to defend myself. But what would you have done if they managed to take you away instead?"

"I—I don't know," Sigrid cried. "I'm sorry, I didn't really think that far ahead. I just did what I thought was the most helpful and I didn't mean to cause you any trouble."

"It's okay, I'm not angry," Ruby assured. "There's no need for the waterworks." Unfortunately, Sigrid continue to cry heavily. "Actually, it meant a lot. Even if it was a bit dramatic, thanks for protecting me. I owe you one."

Sigrid stopped crying and smiled at her. "You're welcome."

Dramatic was an understatement, but there again Ruby was quite certain that she was the same when she first joined Dragon Tail. She did after all did a few crazy things, but everyone went with it and it did work out. It would be extremely unfair if she didn't do the same for Sigird.

"Well, we're here," said Ruby. "Help me brainstorm. What do these creeps want?"

"Do you think that the scoundrels behind the temple fires like Brila suspected?" Sigrid asked.

"Maybe, but I'm not a part of that," Ruby frowned. "It doesn't add up."

Suddenly they heard the sounds of the trees rustling and saw Valyya looking down at standing on a tree branch upside down.

"I finally caught up with you," she said. "You won't get away again."

"Okay, Valyya has gone crazy," said Ruby.

Valyya then landed on the ground.

Ruby then looked at Sigrid. "Follow my lead we've got this," she whispered.

"Okay," Sigrid nodded.

"Just in time, I was holding her for you," said Ruby gesturing to Sigrid. "I'm tired of running so is the real Ruby Heartfull."

Valyya stared at her.

"No, wait," said Sigrid. "Don't let her fool you like that. She's the honest to goodness Heartfull in the flesh."

"What?" said Valyya confused.

"Real Ruby, you're so naughty, I can't believe you would lie just to save your own skin," said Ruby.

"Oh, don't be silly you're really real one," said Sigrid.

"Okay, you got me. I been blind this whole time, I really am the really real Ruby."

"Or so you think, but you're wrong because in reality I'm really the real Ruby Heartfull. So there."

Valyya looked between the two of them completely confused. Then to make things even more confusing Virgo appeared out of nowhere.

"Don't listen to them, I'm the real Mistress you're looking for," she said politely.

Ruby stared at her. "Hey, what are you doing here, Mistress?"

"Helping you get out of this sticky situation of course," she said approaching her.

"What's with all the Mistress talk?" Valyya stared. "Do you mean Ruby?"

"You're exactly right, I'm the real Mistress so take me away," said Virgo.

"Then again I'm I might be Ruby after all," Ruby smirked.

"Or has it been me at the very beginning," Sigrid added.

"The truth is we think abusing you this entire time," said the three of them in unison.

"I can't take this," Valyya groaned clutching her head.

With a completely overwhelmed the three of them then made their getaway.

"That should keep her busy for a little while," said Virgo.

"Let's hope so," said Sigrid.

"Yeah, but I can't help but feel kind of guilty," said Ruby honestly. "You know what I mean?"

* * *

Meanwhile at the Dragon Tail Guildhall, Ryker had managed to snare Wartihog and Phlegma in his slime.

"You're not getting away so unless you want me to drain you dry as just to tell me where Ruby Heartfull is," Ryker advised.

Skullcrusher had taken on his battle form and held out his Musica Sword which was now fully sized. He swung it straight at Ryker, but it was caught in a wall of slime.

"Your little change caught me offguard, but lucky for me I seen it before," Ryker smirked.

"Did you see this before?" Toothless' voice yelled.

Ryker turned just in time to receive a powerful punch from Toothless, who too entered into his battle form. He was sent flying and then was kicked in the back by Cloudjumper, who too took an of his battle form.

"Bet you didn't see this coming," said Cloudjumper.

"I admit you caught me offguard," said Ryker getting to his feet. "However, it would seem the same could be said for you."

Toothless frowned at that remark and was hit in the back by Hiccup.

"Sorry, bud!" Hiccup yelled apologetically.

Skullcrusher and Cloudjumper received the same treatment from Spitelout, who had taken up his beast form and punched them away.

"It's not me!" he yelled.

Viggo was controlling them through the power of his ring with a large smile on his face. Snotlout then jumped at him with his fist raised.

" _Beast Arm!_ " Snotlout roared added onto the form of a beast.

Unfortunately, Viggo used his ring to make Snotlout punch the twins.

"This is starting to get annoying," said Hiccup.

"Now you know how I felt with your little ruse you prayed a few minutes ago," said Viggo. "I admit that it was a clever tactic and very unexpected."

"Viggo, we've wasted enough time with these losers," said Ryker.

"Agreed," Viggo nodded. "Valyya must be chasing after the real Ruby." He then looked at Hiccup. "As you can see that you only delay the inevitable."

"We're not letting you get away," said Hiccup firmly.

"I admire your bravado, but you have hardly any choice in the matter," said Viggo as he raised his ring. "My _Ring of Control_ allows me to control anyone I wish. I can even meet you find yourself."

Hiccup felt his body moving despite his best efforts and his fists went ablaze. "Won't allow you to control me like a puppet," Hiccup roared.

Suddenly found himself punching himself across the face.

"Hiccup, is in big trouble, Stormfly," said Merrill as Stormfly helped her out of the slime.

"You should be more worried about yourself, child," said Stormfly.

"Let's end this," said Viggo.

He then forced Hiccup to put his hands together to create a plasma blast and then forced him to fire at right beneath his feet causing a massive explosion.

* * *

Meanwhile Helga and Ingrid were making their way back to the Guild.

"I wonder if Fishlegs has finished deciphering that text from Ruby yet?" Helga asked.

"You know how smart the two of them are, I bet the back of the Guild having fun with anyone else," said Ingrid.

Then they notice an explosion coming from the hills right where the Guildhall was located.

"What was that?" Helga stared.

"Hey, that's the Guildhall," said Ingrid her eyes widened.

When they reached the Guildhall they found that everyone was completely exhausted and beaten up, especially Hiccup.

"What happened here?" Ingrid stared.

"Looks like the Gates of Helheim broke loose," said Helga.

* * *

Everyone was all right and they set out to create search party looking for Ruby before Viggo or any of them could find her. It was night and Merrill was flying in the air with Stormfly along with Skullcrusher and Cloudjumper.

"Ruby! Sigrid!" she called. "Where are you?"

"Even if they went looking for the Master we have no way of knowing which way they went," said Stormfly.

"Has your nose picked up anything, even faint?" Skullcrusher asked looking at Merrill.

"I'm sniffing like crazy, but I can't sniff them out for some reason," Merrill frowned.

"It could have something to do with the memento Ruby is carrying," Cloudjumper guessed.

"That is very likely," said Stormfly.

Hiccup too was searching with Toothless in the air, but they were having as much luck as Merrill.

"I can't seem to be able to pick up their sent," said Hiccup.

"We have to find them, they could be in danger," said Toothless.

"Don't worry, bud, we'll find them."

* * *

Back at the Guildhall, Brila was tending to the injured while the others explained the situation to Helga and Ingrid.

"And then they took off," said Fishlegs. "Hiccup and Merrill went after them a while ago."

"We're pathetic, I can't believe we let those clowns take control of it like that," said Snotlout angrily.

"Yeah, there were only three of them and we were completely at their mercy," Tuffnut agreed.

"We could have beaten them easily," Ruffnut pouted.

"Somehow I doubt we seen the last of them," said Adelaide.

* * *

Meanwhile Merril and the others were still looking for Ruby. Then Skullcrusher saw something rushing towards them at the cliff and it only took a few seconds to realise that it was Valyya.

"Get back here!" she yelled.

"Valyy?" Skullcrusher gasped.

She then jumped off the cliff and kicked the four them. This attack caused Stormfly to release Merrill and she began to fall towards the ground.

"Merrill!" Stormfly screamed as the three of them flew down after.

Fortunately they were able to grab a before she hit the ground and border back into the air. Valyya then performed a perfect landing on the cliff wall.

"9, 8, 10 points!" she yelled.

"This isn't some kind of game, Valyya!" Skullcrusher snapped. "You could have killed her!"

"I've lost track of Ruby so tell me where she is hiding!" Valyya demanded. "Unless you would like to keep my foot again. Oh, and while we're at it I hate cats so quit talking what were best friends!"

Skullcrusher looked crestfallen.

* * *

Hiccup and Toothless were elsewhere flying over the forest in search for Ruby.

"Hey, Hiccup, why do you think that you can't track her?" Toothless asked.

"There some sort of smell blocking hers and all over the forest. I'm willing to bet that it has something to do with that momentum her father gave her," said Hiccup.

Then suddenly slime shot out from the trees beneath them and they barely had enough time to dodge it.

"Hiccup, down there," said Toothless looking towards the ground.

Hiccup, look down and saw the cause of the attack. "It's Ryker," he said.

Ryker was standing there with his sword drawn with a smuggish look on his face.

"Care for a rematch, boy?" Ryker smirked.

"You're on," said Hiccup. "I'm going about your slime right of your smug face."

"You're so naïve, boy," said Ryker.

Then suddenly landing not too far away was a massive octopus and someone was standing up on it.

"Ryker, you mustn't allow short-term matters distract you from the task at hand," said the man on top of the octopus.

"Where the heck did that thing come from?" Hiccup stared.

"No idea," Toothless stared.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ruby had finally managed to get away from Valyya and gave Virgo her _Fleuve d'étoiles_.

"I'm sorry, Virgo, I think I broke it somehow," she said apologetically.

"Don't worry, I'm sure it was just affected by the magic that seal you away for seven years," she said. "I'll return to the Celestial Spirit Realm and try to fix it. Please excuse me."

"I hope to see you soon," said Ruby as she vanished.

"That was a Celestial Spirit?" Sigrid asked.

"Yeah, Virgo is just one of them I'm contracting with," Ruby nodded.

"She does seem very nice. How are the mermaid and the crab?"

Ruby stared at her blankly. "How do you know about those two?"

"Oh, you told me about them, don't you remember?" Sigrid frowned.

"No, I don't."

"Well, look what we have here," said a voice. They looked up and saw Viggo looking down at them with an evil smile on his face. "I must say that Windshear's calculations were right on the money. I've never been so proud of my student."

"Viggo," Ruby stared.

"Now my dear, you better give me what I want or your friend will pay the price," said Viggo raising his ring.

Sigrid then found herself unable to control her own body. She then spun around towards the cliff and began to walk towards it.

"Hey, where are you going?" Ruby asked.

"My legs, their moving all by themselves," said Sigrid terrifyingly.

"Stop, Sigrid! You're going to fall!" Ruby pleaded.

"Believe me, that's the last thing I want to do right now."

Sigrid quickly grabbed her and then turned to Viggo. "Wait a minute, Viggo. What happened to taking us with you?"

"I figured you would be able to run away from me if I injure you first," Viggo smiled as he followed them.

"Let's go, Big Sister," Sigrid pleaded as they got closer towards the cliff. "I don't want you getting hurt, because of me."

Ruby with refused to release.

* * *

"Have you found, Ruby Heartfull yet?" the old man asked looking down at Ryker.

"I think the girl will be asked soon enough, Lord Byro," said Ryker.

Hiccup stared at the old man. "Byro? He was the old man, who tried to drain me and Merrill magic in Edolas!"

Upon closer inspection of the old man he was quite muscular, tall and showed no emotion. He was nothing like his counterpart in Edolas.

"He's way different from the Byro I know," said Hiccup.

"I suppose physical changes can also happen across parallel world," said Toothless.

"We're here to obtain the Heartfull girl," said Byro glaring down at Ryker. "Not play with this boy and his cat. Eliminate them at once. When you're done return to the mission at hand, or else."

"You got it, my Lord," Ryker bowed.

* * *

Meanwhile Ruby was still trying to stop Sigrid from falling off the edge.

"Please, Ruby, save yourself!" Sigrid begged.

"That's not happening," said Ruby stubbornly. "I'm going to stick with you."

"I met this wretched thing warms the heart, but in the end it just saved me the trouble controlling the two of you at the same time," Viggo smirked.

Sigrid then stepped off the edge and both she and Ruby fell off the clear and headed towards the ground below.


	6. The Fury of Legion

Hiccup was facing against Ryker, Byro and his pet octopus. He really did like his chances even with Toothless backing him up.

"So now we got a fight that," said Hiccup.

"Where in the world did he find that thing?" Toothless asked.

"Why do you assess the buying us," said Byro looking quite annoyed. "You get out of our way, if you know what's good for you."

"Don't get this wrong, boy, it's been real fun playing with you, but we have a job to do," said Ryker.

"Sorry, but you're not going anywhere," said Hiccup defiantly as he drew _Inferno_ and ignited it.

"Have it your way," said Ryker as he raised his blade.

The slime began to rise back up into the air.

"You know what they say, 'If you can't stand the heat get out of the fire,'" said Hiccup as he took in a deep breath. " _Fire Dragon's Roar!_ "

Hiccup then unleashes dragon's breath attack upon them, but Byro merely raised his hand and the flames dispelled.

"Hiccup's flames… they—they vanished," Toothless gasped.

"Nice try, boy, but you should know that any attack you dish out will not affect Lord Byro in the slightest," Ryker smirked.

"Great, just perfect," Hiccup groaned.

Suddenly the slime, Ryker controlled, headed straight towards him. Hiccup then channelled his fire into _Inferno_. " _Fire Dragon's Plasma Blade!_ " he roared.

He then sent a powerful slash of flames that the slime, but they were merely absorbed into it.

"No, it was absorbed," Toothless gasped.

"Let's put an end to this," said Ryker.

Suddenly the slime to perform the giant hand and it slapped Hiccup heard into a small hill creating a crater.

"Ryker's magic literally feeds off of his opponent's power," said Toothless gasped.

"Eliminate them, quickly," Byro ordered.

"As you wish my Lord," Ryker bowed.

Then the octopus carrying Byro began to move away and made its way deeper into the forest.

"Hey, when you think you're going?" Hiccup yelled getting back onto his feet.

"Lord Byro, hasn't got the time to deal with you," said Ryker smugly.

* * *

Elsewhere Ruby and Sigrid were still falling to their death of a cliff screaming. Ruby then quickly grabbed Aries' key.

"I've got this," she said. " _Open! Gate of the Ram!_ _Aries!_ "

Then suddenly appearing below them was a magic circle and wool eased out of it.

"I'm sorry," said the timid voice of Aries.

The two of them then landed onto the wool which cushioned their fall. Next to the large bundle was the nervous–looking Aries.

"I get so nervous when you call me," she said fearfully. "I hope I did okay."

"Yeah, that was perfect timing," Ruby assured. "Thank you."

"Wow, that was a close one, huh?" said Sigrid deeply relieved.

"My, you Guild Vikings sure don't know when to give up," said Viggo looking down at them from the cliff. "It's time that I end this charade."

Viggo then jumped off the cliff and fell down towards them.

Aries vanished and Ruby pulled out Taurus' key. " _Open! Gate of the Golden Bull!_ _Taurus!_ "

Then earth shot up into the air as a magic circle appeared and emerging from it was Taurus with battle-axe in hand.

"I'm at your service, Miss Ruby. Your wish is my command," said Taurus.

"Take that guy down!" Ruby ordered pointing up at Viggo.

"You can count on me," said Taurus with a small smile.

"You haven't learned a single thing," said Viggo as he extended his ring out. "Anything you throw at me is under my command."

Taurus smiled and was completely unaffected by the power of his ring. "I wouldn't be too sure that," said Taurus and swung his battle axe.

Viggo was taken completely by surprise and leaned back just in time before the axe could slices head off.

"He's not controlling him is he?" Sigrid gasped.

"I knew it," said Ruby smiling. "His magic power can only control those from this realm. It has no control over those from other worlds."

Taurus then slammed his axe down upon Viggo, who somersaulted out of the way and then jumped out of the way to avoid another swing.

"So you found my rings one drawback," said Viggo looking quite impressive. "Fortunately, that is not the only thing that I have at my disposal."

Viggo then drew a sword that he had strapped to his back. Taurus swung his axe at him again, but this time Viggo was able to block it and then use all his strength to push Taurus back. He then kicks the Celestial Spirit in the chest and then quickly jumped back to avoid one of Taurus fists.

"You're fast," said Taurus angrily.

"Or maybe you're just slow," said Viggo.

Taurus roared and charged towards him again, but Viggo jumped to avoid his swing. Then he slammed down his sword right on top of Taurus dealing him some massive damage. Taurus then fell to the ground and looked apologetically up at Ruby.

"I failed you, Miss Ruby," he said.

"That's fine, you can take a break," said Ruby returning into the Celestial Spirit Realm.

"I hope you got more tricks up your sleeve," said Sigrid hopefully.

"Don't worry I do," said Ruby as she pulled out Scorpio's key. "Scorpio, you're up!"

Sand shot out of the ground and Scorpio appeared.

"Wicked!" he yelled. "You just leave this to me, Ruby. All, yeah!"

* * *

Meanwhile Merrill and the Exceeds were down on the ground watching as Valyya ran around them at an incredible pace.

"What do we do?" Merrill asked.

"She's so fast, I don't think there's much we really can do," said Stormfly.

Skullcrusher was rather reluctant to fight someone he once cared about, but if he didn't they were goners. Cloudjumper was clearly thinking the same thing as both he and Skullcrusher took on their battle form.

"We have to defeat her," said Skullcrusher plainly. "Even though she's the spitting image of Valyya, she is not the same girl we knew back in Edolas."

"Much like how Hiccup is different from his counterpart in Edolas," said Cloudjumper.

Skullcrusher nodded. "I really should have known better." He then looked back at Merrill and Stormfly. "Stand back ladies."

* * *

Meanwhile Byro sitting on top of the octopus called Kanaloa. They were literally jumping across the forest, but Kanaloa sensed something quite powerful close by.

"What is it Kanaloa?" Byro asked sensing this as well. "You found something haven't you?" He sensed a powerful burst of magic power. "Yes, I sense it too."

They then landed on the ground and found the source of the magic.

"You're the one I sensed," said Byro looking directly at Gildarts. "I must admit that you hold an impressive amount of magic power."

"You don't say," said Gildarts folding his arms.

Byro then rose to his feet. "I know who you are, good sir, your reputation precedes you. The most powerful Viking of the _Dragon Tail_ Guild's elite S-Class. Gildarts Clive."

"I don't know who you are, but you must have a death wish if you're messing with _Dragon Tail_ ," said Gildarts narrowing his eyes.

"I don't necessarily have business with your Guild," said Byro honestly.

"Is that so," said Gildarts unconvinced.

"My, my, I did not expect to see this," said a voice behind Gildarts.

Gildarts turned and saw an elf huntsman with brown hair and an eyepatch.

"And you are?" Gildarts asked.

"The name is Theron Blackbark," Theron bowed.

"Of course, you're the elven hunter that helped the Guild Alliance against the _Oración Seis_ ," said Gildarts.

"And there's no need to tell me who you are, Gildarts," said Theron with a small smile.

"Sorry I can't talk right now, because I got someone to take down," said Gildarts looking at Byro. "However, I'm not sure whether to take him down or the octopus."

"If you continue to threaten me Gildarts, I will be forced to eliminate you," Byro warned.

Gildarts then jumped into the air and appeared right in front of Byro. He then used his _Crash Magic_ against him, but Byro merely extended his hand and the spell was dispelled. A few seconds later the trees behind him shattered into blocks which was very intriguing.

Gildarts landed on the octopus and looked at him curiously. "You say you're going to eliminate me, but it looks like all you did was get out of the way."

"No," said Byro. "I did nothing of the sort. I merely neutralised your magic. More precisely I disbursed your attack and redirected it around me, it was not a defensive manoeuvre."

"Hmm," said Gildarts, he could tell that you can have some trouble with him.

"And once it got around him it came together again and hit the trees right behind him," Theron added. "It broke them down to a hundred little blocks."

"That some trick," said Gildarts admitted.

"It is indeed," Byro nodded. "I'd show you more, but I don't have the time to waste fighting you right now. My comrade and I have an important task to complete."

"And what is that?" Gildarts asked curiously.

"Please, attack me it'll give me reason to destroy you," Byro taunted.

Gildarts merely narrowed his eyes.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ruby was still dealing with Viggo.

Scorpio unleashed a burst of sound on his tail, but Viggo was rushing towards them and dodged it.

"Hurry Scorpio! Shoot her again!" Ruby yelled.

"You got it," said Scorpio. "I'll hit her this time. _Sand Spear!_ "

He then fired another burst of sand at Viggo, but he dodged it and raised his ring.

"Don't try it," said Ruby.

Then suddenly she found herself flying up into the air and was heading into the direction of Scorpio attack.

"Ruby! Watch out!" Sigrid screamed.

Scorpio quickly pulled his tail out of Ruby's path so that he wouldn't hit. Unfortunately, his tail pointed to the direction of Sigrid and his attack hit her instead.

"Sigrid!" Ruby screamed.

"Ah, man, that's totally my bad," said Scorpio.

Viggo merely smiled knowing that he had the other hand yet again.

* * *

In the forest, Hiccup was still battling against Ryker and his slime which had taken the form of a giant hand.

"The more you attack it the more magic power it sucks up the bigger it gets," said Toothless. "What do you think we should do?"

"There's only one thing to do," said Hiccup as held out the hilt of _Inferno_. "We have to attack it without using magic."

Hiccup then unleashed gas from its hilt and it began to cover the slime and next second he ignited it with the light on his blade. This caused a massive explosion consuming the slime.

"Good thing, Ruffnut gives me a large quantity of gas," Hiccup smirked.

However, to his horror that the slime actually absorbed the blast.

"The flames you use may not have magic, but the gas you used to create them certainly does," Ryker smiled.

Then a split second later the slime ignited until it was completely on fire.

"It turned into fire," Hiccup gasped.

"My slime doesn't just absorb magic attacks, it takes it in and using it as its own," Ryker smirked.

Suddenly the slime hand clenched itself into a fierce and hit Hiccup hard, ploughing him into the ground. Hiccup yelled to be heard as he was squashed into the ground.

"Oh, no," said Toothless.

The slime hand then struck Hiccup yet again and again and kept on continuing the attack.

"I can't believe this is happening," Toothless stared. "He's losing to fire."

"You surprised?" said Ryker. "You shouldn't be, because the more power that goo absorbs the stronger and stronger becomes. So tell me do you get it now?"

"Hiccup, you gonna get out of there!" Toothless yelled.

"I wish I could, bud," said Hiccup weakly before the goo struck him once again. "But I don't think this slimy fire—" The slime struck him once again. "Is going to let me do that."

"You should have stood down when you had the chance," said Ryker smiling and pointing his sword down at Hiccup. Hiccup was then hit once again. "It's time to finish this fight once and for all."

* * *

Meanwhile, Gildarts was battling against Byro, but the two of them appear to be evenly matched. Gildarts swung his fist at Byro, only for it to be blocked by his staff.

"You're stronger than I thought you were," said Gildarts backing away.

"Same goes for you," said Byro.

Gildarts then extended his hand once again and unleashed his _Crash Magic_.

"Yes, crush him," said Theron.

However, Byro dispelled it once again with just a wave of his hand.

"He neutralised your attack again," said Theron looking extremely impressed.

"Stand down," Byro advised. "I won't ask again."

"Go ahead and make me," said Gildarts. "That is unless you think you can."

Byro merely narrowed his eyes. "Very well then. I'm afraid you leave me with no other choice."

The two of them then just at this size in each other up.

They then clashed once again and Gildarts uses magic yet again. However, just like the last few times it was dispelled and all he could do was destroy the scenery around.

"You're really starting to get on my last nerve, buddy," said Gildarts.

"I feel the same about you," said Byro.

"Tell me, what exactly is your goal here?" Byro just as there in silence. "Are you gonna tell me why you're trying to destroy our guild?"

"We're destroying your Guild? What nonsense."

* * *

Ruby was still facing against Viggo, holding the clock hand. Scorpio had vanished from the battle completely exhausted and Sigrid was unconscious.

Ruby was assessing Viggo's magic and concluded that it was not like Muk's Witching Hour Curse Magic. Viggo's magic did not acquire a strand of the targets hair, he can only control one person at a time and they have to be in a certain distance from him.

That meant that she was safe so long as long as she kept a distance from him. Unfortunately, there was easier said than done in a situation like this.

Then the clock and began to glow and Viggo noticed it.

* * *

Meanwhile Valyya was still racing around Merrill and the Exceeds.

"Will you just spill it," she said running down the cliff. "I'm running out of patience."

Skullcrusher swung his fist to water, but she jumped and dodged it. Cloudjumper then swung a kick towards her, but somehow she was able to avoid that in mid-air as well.

"Tell me where I can find her," Valyya demanded landing on her feet.

"Stop you two!" Stormfly yelled. "What do you think you're doing?"

Valyya was now running back up the cliff opposite them.

"Let me handle this," said Merrill taking in a deep breath. " _Sea Dragon's Roar!_ "

She unleashed her breath attack upon Valyya, but it missed her completely and she was still running across the cliff walls.

"No, I missed," said Merrill.

"She can even outrun your _Sea Magic_?" Stormfly gasped.

* * *

Meanwhile Hiccup was completely at the mercy of Ryker, he was completely worn out and Ryker was still going strong.

"Do yourself a favour, boy, and stand down," said Ryker.

Hiccup began to raise, but he was still quite weak.

"Hiccup!" Toothless yelled.

"Toothless, fly me out of here quickly," Hiccup ordered.

"What are you planning to do?" Toothless asked.

"It'll take too long to explain, just do it."

"You got it," said Toothless summoning his wings.

He then grabbed Hiccup and flew up into the sky.

"You are not getting away from me," said Ryker raising his sword towards them.

His flaming slime was now zooming towards them.

Hiccup looked at Toothless. "Listen, bud, I want you to fly me over that slime and drop me into the middle of it."

Toothless looked at him as if it was crazy. "Are you out of your mind? I can't do that to you. That thing will drain all your magic power."

"Just trust me on this!"

"Okay," said Toothless reluctantly. He then made a U-turn and then dropped Hiccup when they were directly above the slime. "Here you go!"

Hiccup was now flying down towards the slime and claims began to cover the entire body. "Inside of entered this battle once and for fall!" he yelled.

He then ended right into the slime.

Ryker laughed. "What a fool! And here I thought you were the smart one!"

Toothless was confused by Hiccup's strategy. "I wish I knew what you were planning," he said. His eyes then widened as he realised what Hiccup was trying to do. "That's it!"

Flames were now rushing into the slime as it began to absorb his power.

Ryker merely smiled. "That's it, give my slime all the power you have."

However, the slime began to expand in a chaotic manner as it was unable to stop feeding upon Hiccup. Hiccup's strategy was quite simple he was and unleashed all his magic power in one go in order to oversee the slime and it appeared to be working.

"No!" Ryker said when he realised what Hiccup was trying to do.

"Taste the _Flames of Emotion_!" Hiccup yelled from inside the slime.

Suddenly the slime then dispelled freeing him and leaving Ryker in dismay.

"No! My slime so much of his power it destroyed itself," he gasped.

Hiccup was now rushing down towards Ryker, with a piece of slime still attached to his fist. Ryker then swung his fist at Hiccup.

"Not so fast," he said.

The two fists collided and dust covered them. However, when it dispelled they found themselves completely trapped. But the fist were trapped in the slime that stuck on Hiccup's fist.

"Looks like you're stuck," said Hiccup as he began to channel his flames into his fist.

"Let go of my hand," said Ryker looking at the slime with great concern. "If this thing absorbs any more of your magic we're both goners."

"That sounds more like you're problem than mine," said Hiccup. "I'll be able to survive the explosion, you and the other hand are not so much."

"If you think you can defeat us you're dreaming," said Ryker as the slime began to expand.

"Well, I'm not standing down!"

"And neither am I!"

Toothless just watch them. "This is getting awkward," he said.

* * *

Meanwhile the battle between Gildarts and Byro was still raging on, but it appeared that they were on equal footing. Gildarts had unleashed his magic once again, but like before Byro merely nullified it and a tree behind him toppled over.

"There is no end to this," said Gildarts tiredly.

"Not surprising, considering who he is," said Theron.

Gildarts looked at him. "Don't keep me in suspense."

"His name is Byro Cracy, he's the leader of the _Legion Platoon_."

"The _Legion Platoon?_ " Gildarts blinked. "What in the heck is that?"

"The Temple of Thor doesn't just followers here on Septem, but all across the world. Not much is known about them, except it is a combat unit tied to the temple's dark past. I've heard it is comprised with fierce warriors, who undergo training most priests can't even endure."

Gildarts then looked at Byro realising the implications of this information.

"So what is this mysterious combat unit was with the _Dragon Tail_ Guild?" he asked.

"That is none of your business," said Byro.

"Really?" said Gidlarts as powerful aura began to cover his body. Next second the two of them were trading blows. "When somebody attacks mine killed it is definitely my business!" Gildarts then unleashed his magic, but Byro dodged and the two of them faced one another yet again. "Honestly, I'm not too worried, because _Dragon Tail_ won't be defeated easily."

Byro then swung his fist towards him.

"However," said Gildarts blocking it. Byro then swung his staff at him, but Gildarts blocked it with his prosthetic arm. "I'm not taking any chances, because one of the Guild members is my daughter."

"Oh," said Byro. "Don't worry, we don't mean any harm to your daughter. We want Ruby Heartfull."

"What do you want with her?"

Byro didn't answer and then he noticed the look in Gildarts' eyes and they broke off.

"My, there's a serious look in your eyes," said Bryo. "This is very serious to us as well. We have in order to complete a task given to us by the Archon of the Temple of Thor. This is Holy War."

"Holy War," Gildarts repeated.

"Yes, this war will change everything." A small smile appeared on his face. "There's no stopping us."

Then he raised his staff and a purple light shone.

"You best get out of here," said Gildarts too Theron.

"You got it," said Theron and ran away.

Once he was gone, Gildarts looked at Byro. "Well?"

The light from Byro's staff faded and next second the two of them clashed fists with one another.

* * *

Meanwhile, Viggo was still facing Ruby.

"I've got you now," he said raising his ring.

Suddenly Ruby found herself unable to move.

"It certainly took longer than I had hoped, I guess if we bothered to know what you looked like it would have been much easier."

Ruby then turned her eyes onto the unconscious Sigrid. "Wake up!" she yelled. "Sigrid! I need help!"

Sigrid just laid there completely still.

"Now come to me," said Viggo.

Ruby tried to resist, but her body was moving on its own.

* * *

Meanwhile Gildarts and Byro were going all out as explosions rocked the area around them.

Gildarts then unleashed his magic once again, but Byro raised his staff and a purple light shone from it. The two attacks then collided and the two warriors found themselves on equal footing once again.

"Tell me, why are you and your powers after Ruby?" Gidlarts asked.

"Strictly speaking, we don't have any business with the girl herself," said Byro. "She has something that we want."

Byro then swung his staff towards him, but Gildarts sidestepped out of the way. He then attempted uses magic once again, but Byro merely slammed down his elbow stopping the attack dead cold.

* * *

Hiccup was having the same conversation with Ryker as the two of them were still stuck together.

"You mean you've been after the memento that her father gave her," he said staring at him.

"Yes, it might play belongs to the Temple of Thor," said Ryker. "And contains power that you cannot comprehend."

"And what makes you think that you know what to do with it?" Hiccup asked.

"I'm not going to debate with you," said Ryker as he raised his sword. "Instead how about I shop of your hand!"

" _Ice Cannon!_ " a voice yelled.

Suddenly a burst of ice shot out of the forest and froze the slime that held their hands trapped. It flows and then shattered between the two of them.

"You've got impeccable timing," said Hiccup turning towards Ragnar as he emerged out of the forest.

"I'm just avoiding getting sooner," said Ragnar. He then saw Ryker and recognised him immediately. "No, it can't be. What the heck are you doing here?"

"It's not what you think, Ragnar," said Toothless. "This isn't the guy we met, this is the Midgard Ryker!"

"Huh," Ragnar stared.

* * *

Meanwhile Viggo was still controlling Ruby and forcing her to come towards him.

"Keep coming this way my dear," he said.

Returned ahead towards Sigrid, who was still unconscious and then Viggo raised his ring again. Ruby then told her arms moving this time presenting the clock hand to Viggo.

"Don't tell me this is what you're after," said Ruby.

"Indeed, that's all," said Viggo. "Handed over and I won't hurt you."

Meanwhile Valyya had just taken down Cloudjumper with a powerful kick with him back to his normal form.

"The girls got some kick," he said wincing.

"She's just too fast," said Merrill in dismay.

"It's time to end this," said Valyya.

Valyya then came racing towards them and looked as if she was going to attack Merrill with full force, but then a burst of water for them to back off.

"Didn't your mother tell you not to pick on other children," said Heather's voice.

Everyone turned and saw Heather standing there with her arm outstretched indicating that it was her that launched the attack.

"Heather," said Merrill with relief.

"Excellent timing," said Stormfly.

* * *

Meanwhile Byro had just blocked one of Gildarts' kicks with his staff and then neutralised his his magic when he came round for another attack. Byro then performed a spin kick which Gildarts jumped over.

The two of them then size each other up, clearly realising that their opponent was quite formidable. Then suddenly a spear landed out of nowhere and impaled Kanaloa causing him to roar in pain.

The sudden violent shaved caused Gildarts to be flown off of him and he landed back onto the ground. Then suddenly landing right next to him was Astrid in her _Gronckle Armour_.

"Astrid," said Gildarts.

"It's rare to see you struggle in battle like this, Gildarts," she said looking at him.

"Huh, that's true, but it's not every day that I may say giant octopus," he said getting to his feet.

"If this guy and his pet were part of our attack on are Guild then he needs to pay the price," said Astrid firmly.

"Don't I know it."

* * *

Meanwhile Ruby was trying to fight against handing the clock hand to Viggo.

"It was never you we would shortly after my dear," said Viggo.

"Please, stop this!" Ruby begged.

"Apologies, but I can't do that."

"This was my father's memento and he left it to me. There's no way that I'll ever let you have it!"

"It wasn't your fathers to begin with I'm just declaiming what was meant to be odds," said Viggo.

"No! Don't! Please stop!" Ruby begged. She then looked at the unconscious Sigrid behind her. "Sigrid, you've gotta wake-up!"

"Allow me to take that of your hands my dear," said Viggo grabbing the clock hand.

Ruby's eyes widened in horror and she fell to her knees.

"The Archon will be extremely happy," said Viggo with a smile.

He then pulled out a stone and tossed it into the air and immediately a green light shone across the area for all to see.

"That's the sign," said Valyya as you continue to run across the cliff wall.

She then made her way up towards the cliff vanishing without a trace.

Byro had also seen the flare as did Astrid and Gildarts.

"A signal flare?" Astrid stared.

Byro smiled. "It seems we've obtained the clock hand."

"What's that mean?" Gildarts frowned.

Ryker also saw the flare and looked at Hiccup and Ragnar.

"It looks as if our mission is complete," he said with a smile.

Hiccup just stared at the flare in worry. "Rubby."


	7. Key of the Starry Heavens

Later that night, the _Legion Platoon_ would soon vanish without a trace with the job completed. With nothing else to do Hiccup and the others return to the Guild and explained the situation to everyone.

"What?" Spitelout stared at Gildarts. "Are you serious? _The Legion Platoon?_ "

"So you're saying that we were attacked by followers of the Temple of Thor," said Agatha.

"Yeah," Gildarts nodded. "There's no doubt about it."

"But why would the largest organised religious order in Septem do something like that?" Gobber frowned.

"Not entirely sure," said Gildarts honestly. "The man I fought mentioned something about the Holy War."

"But what does that have to do with stealing from Ruby?" Hiccup asked.

Toothless could tell that Ruby was hurting. "You can't blame yourself," he said. "Viggo was controlling you with his Controlling Spell."

"I'm so sorry," said Sigrid apologetically. "I wish I could have done something to help you."

"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself, Sigrid," said Ruby. She certainly looks very upset by this development. "It's all on me, because I'm too weak."

"The way I see what all too weak," said Hiccup looking at her. "We all got our butts kicked by them, remember."

Stoick frowned. "A series of temple attacks just before the _Temple of Thor Founding Festival_ ," he said troublingly. "A mysterious clock hand inscribed with an ominous phrase which is also being sought out by the _Legion Platoon_ and now there's talk about a Holy War."

"I get the feeling that we haven't seen the last of them," said Hiccup frowned folding his arms and Toothless nodded with agreement.

"Did anyone able to follow them and figure out where they were going?" Ragnar asked.

"According to Speedfist, every single search team lost sight of them," Astrid frowned. "I agree with Hiccup. This is far from over."

"Then we need to find out what they're up to," said Hiccup getting to his feet. He then looked at everyone. "Who's with me?"

"We need to try and make sense of what we're facing," said Astrid. "The _Legion Platoon_ at access to steal a clock hand and during the battle they mention a Holy War? Why would they need that item? Does it play a role in this impending war? And what is that strange extraction referring too?"

"Ryker told me that it rightfully belonged to the Temple of Thor, though how they lasted I have no idea," said Hiccup.

Ruby nodded. "Viggo mentions the same thing."

* * *

Meanwhile the Archon was running in utter darkness with candles floating around as they burn with an eerie flame. He soon found himself in a field staring at the giant clock hand.

' _Time ticks forward on towards inevitable chaos_ ,' he said as darkness began to cover the land.

Merrill was still with Exceeds that they did a flyover around the area to locate the _Legion Platoon_. Then Stormfly gasped as he saw a vision of the Archon's dream.

"Is something wrong?" Merrill asked.

"Oh no. It's nothing," she said lied.

* * *

"This clock is real," said Ruby. "It exists somewhere out there, but I just can't imagine what it significant could be."

"Do you think the chaos the inscription talked about in this Holy War are one and the same?" Agatha asked.

"Normally a Holy War would be against opposite religions," Hiccup frowned folding his arms. "There was a brief war between the humans and elves after the chaos of the Dragon Wars. All knowledge of the era is pretty much gone."

"So who could be Temple of Thor want a fight against?" Ragnar asked.

"Most likely those that do not fit in with their rules," said Toothless. "But the fact of the matter is the world needs rules or else we would fall into chaos."

"Rules like taking someone start makes you a thief," said Agatha.

"Or do and the others as you would have them do unto you," said Sigrid.

"Rules were created in order to protect people's freedoms and safety without them there would be strife and lawlessness," said Valka.

"Do they think that if they can win the war they can change the rules?" Gobber frowned.

"I don't want those jerks deciding what's right or wrong," said Spitelout.

"They definitely have some walk ideas and justice," Gildarts nodded. "And stealing from Ruby doesn't strike me as holy."

"We need some more clues," said Ruby.

"I had a thought, if they wanted the hand maybe they're looking for other parts of the clock as well," said Sigrid.

"If we can determine what their goal is perhaps we can figure out the significance of Ruby's keepsake," said Astrid.

"I say we find out where they went and then we can just ask them ourselves," said Ragnar. He then leaned on Hiccup's shoulder. "You know, I would like to try and make them talk."

"Sounds like fun to me," said Hiccup as he touched fists together. "I'm in."

"I don't even know where we should start looking," said Ruby.

"I'll see what my fortune telling brings up," said Agatha. "It's bound to give us a few ideas."

* * *

Meanwhile Alistair was with his men looking over a temple.

"All clear so far. Nothing unusual reported at the other two parishes, sir," said one of his men.

"Very good," Alistair nodded.

"But what if the next attack takes place somewhere other than these three locations?" another one of his men asked.

"There is a slim chance," Alistair admitted. "But still after investigating the prior incidents and some expert divination we've narrowed it down to three most likely targets. I have faith in our intel."

"Is anyone inside?"

"At this late hour? The priest assures us that it is empty."

* * *

The temple wasn't empty and someone was praying at the altar, but then he turned when he heard the sound of the door opening. His eyes then fell upon a robot with a fiendish look.

"Target acquired," it said.

"Stop right there," said the man as he reached for something in his pocket. He then pulled out a Celestial Key. "If you think going to come in quietly you're dead wrong!"

"Be as loud as you want," said the robot.

* * *

Outside the temple, Alistair his men heard a yell coming from inside.

"You hear that?"

"Someone's screaming."

"Now! Inside!" Alistair ordered.

They quickly made their way towards the temple, but then there was a huge explosion and sending them flying. When the smoke cleared the entire temple was rubble.

"No," said Alistair.

"If it is in the Custody Enforcement Unit," said a voice. Alistair looked through the smoke and saw a robot standing in front of them. "So the Council had taken actions against me, I should be flattered."

The robot was humanoid in shape, but it's had resembled a skull and two red lights glowed in its eye sockets. Attached to its the wrists were some kind of lasers, the design of which Alistair didn't recognise and its legs were more talon like than actual legs.

"Are you the one behind these attacks?" Alistair demanded.

"Wouldn't you like to know," said the robot.

"Tell me who you are this instant!"

"The name is Nexus and I am built for destruction," said the robot at the top of his voice. "Let me show you!"

He then raised his wrist and suddenly lightning shot out from one of his lasers giving them a nasty shock. Fortunately it wasn't life-threatening, but clearly it could have been meaning that Nexus was just playing games with them.

"This is complete and utter madness," said Alistair, who was smouldering. "Who would design such a monstrosity?"

"That is something that you have to figure out for yourself," said Nexus.

He then tapped his chest with his arm and suddenly he vanished into thin air much to the bewilderment of at Alistair and his men.

"What the?"

"It's gone?"

"What was it?"

One of Alistair's men then looked at him. "So that was behind the attacks."

"Has been made quite clear," said Alistair. "However, someone must have created him which means were dealing with more than just one individual."

* * *

Meanwhile at Dragon Tail, Stoick was giving Gildarts a mission and Gobber was standing beside.

"Well, I hate to ask you this, but do you think you're up for it?" Stoick asked.

"Yeah, what other choice do I really have," said Gildarts.

"You're the only one in the Guild with the power to pull this off," said Gobber.

"But you will be doing this alone, I have given you the perfect partner," Stoick smiled.

"Back to his old tricks again," said Agatha leaning against a tree. "Sneaking around late at night."

"I would go easy on him," said Valka.

Gildarts then approached Agatha. "There's no need to worry," he assured. "I'll be back just before you know it."

"Yeah, a little," she said.

"You know you can come with me if you want, it would be the first time that father and daughter would go the same mission," he said with a smile.

"No thanks," said Agatha plainly.

Gildarts looks slightly crestfallen and then walked off. "She definitely takes after her mother."

"Will you just go?" Agatha yelled.

Valka raised an eyebrow. "Is that what you call going easy on your poor old man?"

"I don't need to cut any slack," said Agatha. She then shook her head. "He's always been so cool and collective under pressure before."

"Realising that he is a father does change a person," said Valka looking at her. "Especially when he discovers that his daughter was sitting around next to him all those years without her telling him. Believe me I know how he feels, I felt the same way when I met Hiccup."

"At least you don't go overboard," said Agatha.

* * *

Meanwhile at the higher up in the mountains where the largest temple in the entire continent stood many priests were making their way down the draughty corridors. This was where the priests of the Temple of Thor met in order to see the Archon.

In fact many priests were now laying eyes upon the Archon in his bed chambers, who was completely exhausted from all the bad dreams he had been having over the past few weeks.

"He's had another one," said a priest.

The priest he was talking to nodded. "They're getting worse each passing day. We've tried giving him sedatives, but it doesn't seem to help."

"Are you feeling any better?" said a high priest that tended to the Archon.

"Were you able to sleep?" another priest asked.

"Yes," said the Archon rubbing his face with a towel. "But the dream has returned."

"You had it again tonight?"

"I did. Such horrors. How could a string for my own mind? However, I believe there must be some purpose behind these visions. The very thought of sleep terrifies me now."

"But sleep is crucial to maintain your good health, sir," said the high priest.

"The time for the Founding Festival draws near. We must summon the high priests and inform them that some misfortune has befallen me."

"Please, you mustn't talk like that," said the high priest.

"I cannot take this lightly," said the archon as he placed on his robes. "Facing unpleasant facts are part of passing of leadership. I am bound by my solemn duty is Archon of the Temple of Thor."

* * *

Meanwhile, Hiccup and his team had made their way to Ruby's old home in the hopes to find clues to the clock hand.

"This place is definitely huge," said Hiccup looking at the mansion.

"Large is an understatement," said Ragnar.

"Colossal would be more accurate," said Astrid. She then looked at Ruby in bewilderment. "I still find it hard to believe how rich your family used to be."

"Does the family still own it?" Ragnar asked looking at Ruby.

"Well, it definitely looks like someone taking good care of it," said Toothless noticing the fact that it wasn't run down.

"I suppose they would want to keep it clean and well-maintained until a buyer can be found," said Stormfly.

"Apparently that hasn't been easy," said Ruby. "People have checked it out, but no one has made an offer to buy."

"Because no one can afford it," said Ragnar.

"Search good memories," Sigrid smiled. "Your house always reminded me of me of a beautiful palace out of a storybook. I had so much fun here"

Ruby frowned at her. "Wait, you've been here before?"

Almost immediately Sigrid broke down into tears. "We used to play together all the time!" she cried.

"Uh, that's right," said Ruby quickly. "Of course we did."

Sigrid stopped crying and looked at her. "You remember all the pretty clothes you make me?"

"Yeah, sure, I remember," Ruby lied.

"You made clothes," said Merrill.

"I never imagined you were the handy type," said Stormfly.

Astrid smiled at them. "I bet you too must have been adorable."

"She used to make the cutest outfits out of coloured paper and flowers," said Sigrid much to Ruby's embarrassment.

"Oh boy," said Ragnar shaking his head.

"Those are certainly unusual materials," Hiccup joked.

They then made their way inside the mansion and there wasn't even a speck of dust or even a single cobweb anywhere. The caretakers were certainly further with their job of maintaining the estate.

"Okay, so where should we get started?" Merrill asked.

"Yes, what type of clues should we be looking for?" Stormfly asked.

"I think we should split up," said Astrid looking at Hiccup. "At least that way we'll be able to cover more ground."

Hiccup nodded. "Good idea. Will split up into teams of two and each team will take a different area and scour every room from top to bottom. Look for anything that might link us to old clocks all the inscription we saw or anything written in Ancient Norse. Look for anything suspicious and keep an open mind."

* * *

With that everyone went into teams and began to split up into different directions. Ruby and Sigrid heard of and made their way up into the attic which was full to the brim.

"Oh, my," said Sigrid. "There certainly a lot of furniture up here."

"There's a lot of stuff in general," said Ruby looking through the crates. "Some of it priceless and I'm sure some of it is completely worthless."

She then saw Sigird looking at the picture frame which was covered up. We will remove the cover and saw that it was a picture of her and her family sitting outside the mansion, but sadly most of it was torn up.

"When was this painted?" Sigrid asked.

"I remember posing for this," said Ruby breathlessly. "It wasn't long before Mum passed away. I had a heck of a time sitting still for this painting. All I wanted to do was play, it was really hard on the when I lost her. Unfortunately, I took it out on anyone around me. I think I was a little terror, I probably just made the whole thing harder for them."

"It's okay," said Sigrid softly.

"Someday I'm going to make enough money to buy this place," she said with a large smile. "I'll put everything back to the way it used to be. Or as close as I can."

"Really?" Sigrid stared. "Do you mean it?"

"Yeah," Ruby nodded. Sigrid then smiled which didn't go unnoticed by Ruby. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh, no," said Sigird shaking her head. "It's a wonderful idea. That would make Uncle Magnus really happy."

Ruby's eyes widened. "You just gave me another idea!"

* * *

A few moments later, they were in her father's office which was also a library of a great many books.

"Wow," Sigrid stared looking at all the books. "This is amazing."

"This was Dad's library, he's actually the reason why I grew up to be such a bookworm myself," said Ruby.

"There's so many."

"And I'm willing to bet that there is but here that will give us a clue."

They then started to look through the books on the shelves, but with so many that was easier said than done.

"Oh, man," Ruby groaned. "This is going to take forever."

Sigrid then saw a book on the shelf. "' _To My Daughter_ ,'" she read. She then pulled it out and showed it to Ruby. "How about this one? It just seems kinda special."

Ruby took it and began looking through the pages, but all of them were completely blank.

"All the pages are completely blank," she frowned. "The book is called ' _To My Daughter_ ,' but there's nothing inside."

"Do you think maybe there's been some kind of spell cast on it? "And I do something else…" Sigrid asked. She then looked up and saw Crux sitting there completely asleep. Ruby had summoned him to help them figure it out. "Is he asleep?"

Ruby shook her head. "He's doing a search. If anyone can figure this out its Grampa Crux."

Crux then woke up.

"Any luck?" Ruby asked.

"What we have here is nothing but a stack of incredibly old paper with no spells or invisible inks or watermarks to be found inside," he said taking the book up. "And it would appear to be the case that your late father himself found the book by hand."

"I see," said Ruby. "Is there anything else worth mentioning?"

Crux then placed the book down. "I do have a suggestion for you. It might serve you well to consider approaching this book as a rid of some sort. Think of the title, ' _To My Daughter_ ,' perhaps it could be an anagram."

Ruby beamed. "Yeah, you're right."

"So, we should rearrange the letters," said Sigrid.

* * *

A few minutes later, they had contacted the rest of the team at all them were now trying to figure out the Ruby's father left. They had little each one of the letters on a piece of paper and were now trying to arrange them in different orders.

"This sort of thing was more Fishlegs' strong suit," said Hiccup.

"Yeah, we really should have brought him along," Astrid agreed.

"Let's just focus trying to solve this," said Ragnar.

"I think I've got something!" Toothless yelled. As he moved an M, a T, an H and a Y.

Crux then woke up once again. "The letters before you spell the word ' _myth_ '."

"Yeah," said Merrill.

"That could be important," said Crux rubbing his non-existent chin.

"I think he might be onto something," said Ragnar.

"So what can we spell the others letters?" Astrid wandered.

With the first words now spelt it in take them long to find other words that suited the remaining letters.

"' _Duo great myth_ ,'" Hiccup read.

Ruby then lit up. "Oh, I know! Check it out there's a pair of books that are known as two great myths. Both were written by Wilhelm the Curator one is called ' _Life of the Clockwork_ ' and it also just happens to be where the string inscription came from."

"You have that book in your apartment, isn't that right?" said Sigrid.

"Yep," Ruby nodded. "Talk about a coincidence and the other book should be right here." She then pulled out a blog out of the library which had a very creepy cover and was called ' _Key of the Starry Heavens_.' "' _Key of the Starry Heavens_.'"

"That's just a picture book," said Hiccup.

"It's not just a picture book, it's an amazing work of art," said Ruby looking slightly offended.

"Well, whatever it is I bet the word 'Key' is very important," said Ragnar.

Astrid nodded. "It seems like the perfect place to begin looking for a clue."

"And it's the only clue we have," Hiccup added.

"You guys think it could be another anagram?" Ruby asked. She then shook her head. "No, probably not, but maybe if we look at it differently…"

Stormfly looked at the cover which showed a girl with her back turned standing on a hillside looking at the stars. She then got a hold vision as the girl turned to look at her with empty eye sockets.

"Don't!" a voice yelled.

Stormfly gasped in horror.

Merrill looked at her. "What's the matter?" she asked.

"I don't know that there will be anything to do with the clock hand or not, but maybe my dad left some kind of message for me to find inside this book," Ruby continued.

"I suggest that you hand over the book," said a voice.

"Who said that?" said Toothless looking around

"I did," said a voice.

Suddenly the handle on the library door began to glow and then grew before finally snapped off the door. The doors then collapsed onto the ground.

"What's going on?" said Hiccup.

"The door handle just blew up," Ragnar stared.

"What a rudimentary understanding," said a voice of the figure emerged from the dust. "What happened was that the handle expanded to twice its size which in turn broke down the door."

The smoke finally dispelled and they saw that the figure was in Exceed, a female to be precise. She was wearing a robe and had a pair glass of on her nose, her far was silvery grey and her eyes were bright green.

"No way," said Toothless.

"I don't believe it," Stormfly breathed.

"She's an Exceed!" Toothless stared. "But she doesn't look like anyone I remember seeing at Extalia."

"She wasn't there," said Stormfly. "She must have hatched from one of the eggs that were sent to Midgard all those years ago just like us."

Hiccup looked at the Exceed. "Who are you?" Hiccup demanded.

"A student of Viggo of the _Legion Platoon_. My name is Windshear," she said.

"So you clowns came after us after all," said Ragnar taking up a fighting position.

"Give back what you stole from us," Hiccup demanded.

"I'll pass," said Windshear.

"That wasn't a request," said Hiccup threateningly.

She then summoned her wings and then flew up into the air. "I consider this an amazing feat. Quite spectacularly played," she said. "I mean I was certain that he would do exactly as I predicted by coming here and providing a clue. So, of course you found one, I amaze myself."

"I'm starting to hate this Exceed," said Ragnar as cold steam exited from his hands.

"I know how you feel," said Hiccup.

"You ready?" Merrill asked.

"I am," Astrid nodded. She then _Requip_ into her _Skrill Armour_.

"Then let's go! _Ice-Make: Lance!_ " Ragnar yelled and fired a burst of ice from his hands.

"You'll get nothing from us!" Astrid yelled as he unleashed a burst of lightning from her spear.

" _Fire Dragon's Roar!_ " Hiccup yelled unleashing his breath attack.

Three attacks then made their way towards Windshear, then suddenly appearing out of nowhere was a man in a suit of armour. He raised his shield and then attack slammed against it and appear to be absorbing the much to their surprise. Suddenly the three attacks shot out in several different directions causing massive damage to the mansion.

"What the—!" Ruby yelled. Ruby then looked at the three of them horrified. "Don't ruin everything! I just decided that my number one goal in life is to buy this place back someday."

"What just happened?" said Ragnar.

"Our attacks got deflected by him," said Hiccup.

The smoke soon dispelled in their standing there in a suit of armour holding a spear one and the shield in the other was a brown haired man of about 25 years with a large smile on his face.

"Got that right," he said. "I'm the spearhead of the _Legion Platoon_ , my name is Daan! You guys saw what I did with my shield, right? It's called _Ricochet_ , yet it? This baby they were take any attack you can throw at it and send it right back at you."

"No," said Astrid stared. "That's a powerful shield."

"We've got to be careful about we hit it with," said Merrill.

"We don't turn Ruby's childhood home into a burnt out pile of rubble," Ragnar agreed.

"No one attack unless you've got a precise shot," Hiccup ordered.

"Cautious, just as I predicted," said Windshear. She then looked at Ruby. "That girl, she's the one who has the book we need."

"Ruby?" Merrill yelled.

"I'm going to leave them outside," said Ruby firmly.

"But it could be more dangerous out there," said Sigrid.

Ruby then turned to face Daan and held out the book. "Is this what you're after? Come and get it, I double dare ya!"

Daan then suddenly just stood there in a daze as he looked at Ruby. Ruby was about to make a run for the door, but he tossed his spear blocking her path.

"Such beauty," said Daan appearing directly behind her. "Such incredible beauty. It's as Freyja herself has cast a spell on me. It's both a blessing and a curse, I do not know which I prefer!"

Everyone just looked at him blankly as he shook her hand.

"And what do they call this loveliness?" he asked.

"Uh, Ruby," said Ruby looking quite bewildered.

"Ruby!" he cried. "I just can't take it! Stunning perfection has a name." He then leaned against his spear and smiled at her. "Such a beautiful name that matches you're so perfect hair."

"Uh, thanks," she said.

Windshear sighed. "I feared for this."

Daan just looked at her in a daze taking in every part of her body. "That voice! Those eyes! Those lips! That hair! That chest! That waist! Those legs! A goddess in human form! Love on two legs! Beauty personified!"

"I now really confused," said Ruby.

Astrid then took this as the perfect opportunity to attack him while his guard was down. "Ruby!" she yelled and tossed her spear at him.

Daan barely had time to grab his sword and shield to dodge it. "Stay back! No one comes between me and my love!"

Astrid then quickly _Requip_ into her _Speed Stinger Armour_. "You two make a break for it," she said looked at Ruby and Sigrid. "They must not get their hands on that book."

"Right," Ruby nodded.

"Me and the others will make sure they get out safely," said Hiccup. He then looked at her. "You're sure you be able to handle this guy?"

"Don't worry I've got this," Astrid assured him.

"Well, your ego seems to be extremely healthy," said Windshear.

"You shouldn't underestimate us," said Daan.

"Go now!" Hiccup ordered looking at the girls.

"Right," Ruby nodded as though she and Sigrid made a run for it.

"Okay," Sigrid nodded.

"I wasn't finished talking to you," said Daan.

"Ragnar, smokescreen!" Hiccup yelled.

"Right!" Ragnar yelled raising his hands together.

Ragnar quickly created a block of ice and Hiccup uses fire breath in order to create some steam. The steam Ruby and Sigrid from view and Toothless and Stormfly took this as the opportunity to grab the two of them and threw them towards the door. Hiccup then lead Ragnar and Merrill out of the library in order to follow the girls.

"Hmm, now then," said Windshear pondering. "Considering the layout of the estate such as this… yes." She then looked down at Daan. "Daan, I trust that you neutralise Freyja?"

"Yeah, I've got," Daan assured.

Astrid then drew her rapier and pointed it at Daan. "Unguard!" she yelled.

They charge at one another and Astrid swung her rapier at him, but he quickly blocked it with his shield. A few seconds later a burst of energy from the shield and she jumped back to avoid.

"It absorbs physical attacks as well?" she gasped.

Daan then jumped into the air and raised his spear and she quickly blocked it with her rapier. However a few seconds later a rapier glowed and then shrank until the size of a toothpick.

"But how?" she gasped.

Daan then slammed his spear at her and she quickly dodged. However it penetrated the floor and a second later she found herself pinned to a shelf of books by some very large rocks. Daan then tapped her rapier with his spear and began to glow.

"What kind of magic is this?" she stared.

She then screamed as her rapier, now super-sized, pierce the bookshelf of you inches to her left.

"Whoa," said Daan looking at her. "That was kinda cute. You are quite attractive in your own way, but it's a teacup compared to the ocean or my dear sweet Ruby possesses."

Astrid narrowed her eyes. "What's wrong with you?"

"Stay right there for now," he said and then poked several books above her with his spear. "Until we meet again, Freyja."

Astrid's eyes widened in horror as the books above her grew ten times their size and headed straight down towards.

"Wait a minute!" she screamed.

* * *

Meanwhile Hiccup and the others were running through the hallway when the mansion began to shake.

"What was that?" said Ragnar.

"I hope Astrid is okay," said Merrill.

"Me too," said Hiccup looking quite worried.

"Come on, we need to hurry!" Sigrid yelled.

Ruby nodded.

However, they soon found blocking their path was Windshear.

"When did you get there?" Ruby stared.

"Just in time I say," she smiled. "Your moves are quite easy to calculate. I simply needed to factor how someone in your panicked states would move to this floorplan."

Toothless then entered into his battle form and then jumped at Windshear. "I'll handle him, go!" he yelled.

However, a few seconds later Windshear entered into her battle form. This was the first time they had witnessed a female Exceed battle form, the change was similar but it was more feminine than Toothless'.

"What?" Toothless stared.

"I also calculated this," she said and then heard claws grew until they were razor sharp.

A few seconds later she slashed her claws at Toothless and he held in pain and landed on the floor.

"You have a battle form too?" he stared.

"Through years of practice and experience," she said.

"Hang on, bud, I'm coming!" Hiccup charging towards Windshear with _Inferno_ drawn.

He jumped into the air, but then Daan appeared out of nowhere and struck Hiccup with his spear. Ragnar the others watched as he began to glow and went straight through the window. Then Windshear dealt a devastating kick that knocked Toothless outside as well.

"Hiccup!" Ragnar yelled.

"No!" Merrill cried.

"That's it!" Ragnar growled placing his hands together.

"How did you hurt our friend?" Merrill glared as she began to absorb the water in the air.

However, before either of them could launch a single attack the floor above them gave way and they saw Astrid and several large books landing on top of them.

"Precisely how I arranged," Windshear smiled.

* * *

Hiccup managed to regain consciousness and got to his feet and found himself in the courtyard.

"Hiccup, where are you?" Toothless asked, who would return to his normal form, looking around.

"I am right here," said Hiccup getting up.

However, when he turned to face Toothless he found that he was three inches tall. The two of them just stared at one another completely bewildered.

Ruby and Sigrid managed to reach into the courtyard.

"Toothless, did you see where Hiccup went?" Ruby asked.

"Oh, I found him," said Toothless show them the tiny Hiccup. "But, he is not quite himself."

"He's so tightly," Toothless stared.

Windshear then floated above them. "By now even you should have figured out that escape is impossible."

"What the heck have you done to Hiccup?" Ruby demanded.

"Those gorgeous lips are asking the wrong person," said Daan's voice behind them. They turned and saw Daan standing there. "My weapon is _Impact_ , a spear that can change your size."

Windshear then returned to normal and floated next to Daan. "So kindly hand over the book and we can be done with this unpleasantness."

"I don't think so," said Toothless and entered into his battle form again with Hiccup on his shoulder.

He swung his fist at Windshear, but Daan placed himself between him and her and raised his shield. Toothless was unable to stop himself and slammed his fist against the shield and seconds later he was pushed backwards and collided with the girls. This caused Ruby to lose her grip on the book and Windshear caught it.

His glasses were also _Gale-Force Reading Glasses_ and she quickly used them in order to read the book quickly. "I considered every possible outcome and I have made plans for each one of them," she said. She then closed the book. "Which means I shall for ever be a countless number of steps ahead of you."

Then Ragnar, Merrill and Astrid, who was wearing her _Night Fury_ armour jumped out of the broken window and headed straight down towards Windshear and Daan. They unleash that power on top of them, but just like before Daan uses shield to absorb their attacks.

"You can have the book back now, I've memorised every single page," said Windshear tossing the book to Ruby.

"Wait!" Ruby yelled.

Daan had finished absorbing the attacks are now redirected them all across the courtyard. This gave Windshear the perfect opportunity to grab Daan and soon they flew away.

"Bye-bye, Ruby," Daan waved. "Next time we get together let's just have it be me and you."

Windshear rolled her eyes. "Tell me, have you been putting on weight again?" she asked.

Finally the dust settled and they just watched as the two of them got away.

"At least they left the book," said Merrill.

"After making absolute fools out of us," said Stormfly.

"I can't stand guys like that," said Ragnar angrily.

"They will not be getting away with this," said Astrid firmly.

"At least you're not 3 inches tall," Hiccup grumbled.

Ruby began to wonder what she had gotten herself into and what her father was trying to tell her.


	8. Travel Companions

Soon Hiccup and the rest the team returned back to the Guildhall and everyone was slightly bewildered by Hiccup's, who was sitting on top of Toothless' head, condition and couldn't help to tease him.

"Oh, my," said Adelaide. "Can he stay like this?"

"Get serious," said Agatha.

"I have to admit that this is quite a change," said Toothless looking up at Hiccup. "Normally I'm the one carrying you."

"It's only put a bit of perspective into it," Hiccup agreed.

Snotlout then grabbed him by his shirt and lifted him up. "You excited, Wartihog," Snotlout smirked looking at him. Wartihog looked at him slightly confused. "This is your chance to open up shop again. The lifelike Hiccup figurine, I bet it'll sell like hot cakes."

Astrid then grabbed his arm and twisted it. "Drop the Viking," she said threateningly and held out her palm.

"Yes ma'am," Snotlout winced and dropped Hiccup into her palm.

Astrid then looked at Hiccup slightly concerned. "You all right, babe?"

"Apart from being 3 inches tall, I'm fine," said Hiccup.

"We'll find a way to get you back to normal size, Son," Valka assured.

Ruby was looking through the book they retrieved from a mansion and glared at them. "Would you pipe down? I'm trying to concentrate!" she yelled.

She continued looking through the book and then realised something. She then gathered everyone around the table as he began to explain her findings.

"I figured some things out," she said.

"Don't keep us in suspense," said Hiccup, who was back on Toothless' head.

"This book for instance," she said holding out the book. "My dad followed it story to story to the letter."

"What you mean by that?" Astrid frowned.

"I'm saying there's more fact than fiction in its pages," said Ruby. " _Key of the Starry Heaven_ , is about a girl who goes in search for six keys, because they're said to bring happiness when they're all collected."

"That doesn't sound too bad," said Heather.

"The thing is, in finding her happiness young girl unknowingly bring sorrow and misfortune into everyone around her," Ruby continued.

"That's no good," said Toothless.

"Not exactly a childhood ending," said Stormfly.

"How does the story begin?" Astrid asked.

"Well, according to what it says here the first key takes the journey," said Ruby.

"The clock hand," said Hiccup.

"Yeah, Sigrid carried the clock hand all the way to _Dragon Tail_ ," said Ruby. "So in other words it took a journey and everything that has happened is a direct result of it. In the story little girl decides to go in search for the five remaining keys. One by one she finds them in a variety of places. Finally she travels to a temple and that is where she finds the six key."

Astrid looked up. "A temple? You don't think…"

"No, it isn't the Berk Temple here in town," said Ruby. "In fact it's nowhere near Berk."

"How do you know that?"

Astrid looked up from the book. "This was my favourite story when I was a little girl. I used to read it over and over again. One day I realised that the places the girl travelled in the _Key of the starry Heavens_ were real. Makes me wonder, if my dad came to the same realisation, I'll bet he hide the other five clock pieces in those spots." Ruby then looked over to Sigrid. "Did he mention any of this, Sigrid?"

"No," said Sigrid. "Sorry, Mr Magnus was very quiet before he passed away."

"In any case, I have a feeling that if we go to the locations mentioned in the book. We should have no trouble finding the rest of the pieces. So, who's with me?" Everyone was in silence. "I'm not sure what the _Legion Platoon_ wants with the clock pieces, but I know we have to stop them. Come on guys if this chaos thing is for real, we can't just sit back and let them do whatever they please. I'll go with or without you."

Hiccup then jumped off Toothless' head. "All by yourself?" he said.

"Yeah, I know your father won't approve, but this really bothers me. I have to do something."

"I'll go with you," said Sigrid.

"I don't know what much help I'll be but I'm coming with," said Hiccup.

"Looks like were in a race and the _Legion Platoon_ is ahead of us," said Ragnar. "From the sounds of it we have a lot of ground to cover."

"This mission relies on too much guesswork for my taste, because we don't actually know what gathering the clock pieces will do," said Stoick. "That said, we must do what we can to keep this chaos at bay."

Everyone was quite surprised by that statement.

"I'll take care of assigned teams," said Hiccup he then looked at his small stature. "Though I could use some help."

"I'll give you a hand," said Astrid.

* * *

A few hours later, Fishlegs and his team along with Skullcrusher were making their way up the mountain.

"Skullcrusher, I'm pretty sure were going in the wrong direction," said Fishlegs.

Skullcrusher said nothing.

"Is it me or is it kinda hard to tell what the little guy is thinking," said Helga.

"At least we know he's a dependable," said Fishlegs.

"Can I ask why we're going a long way?" Ingrid asked.

"We're looking for a really powerful teammate," said Skullcrusher looking back. "A man with an iron will and an equally iron head."

Fishlegs just stared at him.

* * *

Meanwhile Ragnar and Heather were making their way through the forest towards the location of one of the Ruby was able to find.

"Those two are very subtle aren't they," said Ragnar.

"I'm sure they had their reasons," said Heather.

The two of them were still quite awkward with one another and the two of them realised why Hiccup and Astrid put them together in a team. The truth was Ragnar did like Heather and she liked him, but neither one of them could express their love.

"At least it's a nice day," said Heather trying to make small talk.

"Yeah, beautiful," said Ragnar awkwardly. Ragnar looked at her. "This is awkward."

"Glad you agree," she said.

"Heather," said a voice behind them.

They turned and saw Lyon walking towards them much to their surprise.

"What are you doing here?" Ragnar frowned.

"I'm here and just as well I see say," he said. "You shouldn't go on such a perilous journey by yourselves."

"Just worried about us, huh?" said Ragnar sceptically.

"Why not," Lyon shrugged.

Ragnar narrowed his eyes. "I think you'll find that we're fine."

"I'm not convinced of that. So, I'll stick around."

"How are you tells the real reason why you're here, Lyon."

However Ragnar pretty much knew the answer, he was here in order to spend time with Heather. Clearly when taking the teams Hiccup and Astrid did not predict this.

* * *

Hiccup, Ruby, Toothless, Gustav and Sigrid on the other hand were on a boat sailing towards their location. Hiccup was still 3 inches tall much to his annoyance.

"Does this spell ever well?" Hiccup grumbled.

"Pity no one in the Guild could figure out how to reverse it," said Toothless.

"You're sure you're fine, Hiccup?" Sigrid asked looking at him with concern.

"Never better," Hiccup grumbled.

"This is one heck of a team," said Gustav sarcastically.

"Have to admit our team could be bit better," said Toothless.

"What you mean by that?" Sigrid asked.

"Look at us, we've got a shrunken team leader, a kid and someone who can't even use magic," said Toothless pointing them out on his paw. "Ruby and I are the only powerhouses and our magic is limited. I'm not confident that we will be able to handle any of the _Legion Platoon_ and am willing to bet that we would at least come across one of them."

"I may be a kid, but I can still fight," Gustav glared.

"Yeah, but how long will you last in a fight?" Toothless asked.

Ruby got out of the chair and leaned against the side of the ship looking out across the lake. "'Towards chaos,'" she said to herself. "Why would anyone want that?"

"Excuse me," said a voice. "Might you be members of _Dragon Tail_?"

They turned and saw four men standing there and judging from their outfits and tools they were clearly archaeologists.

"Yes, that's correct, sir," said Sigrid.

* * *

Meanwhile Fishlegs and his team followed Skullcrusher found themselves a large waterfall.

"Whoa, large waterfall," said Helga.

"Finally something to drink," said Ingrid as she began to drink the water.

Skullcrusher began looking around for any signs of Eret, but there were none. Then Fishlegs saw him sitting cross-legged inside the waterfall where the water slammed down on top of him.

"Over there," he pointed.

"What's he doing?" Helga asked.

"Maybe he's bathing," Ingrid suggested.

"Isn't it obvious," said Skullcrusher. "He's training."

"Eret!" Fishlegs yelled.

Eret opened an eye and saw them. "I'm a little busy here," he said.

"We've got a mission and we could use your help," Fishlegs called.

"What kind of mission?" Eret asked.

"The dangerous kind," he said with a slight whimper.

"It's a long story," said Skullcrusher.

"Then you better start telling it," said Eret.

* * *

Astrid was leading her team which consisted of Agatha, Merrill and Stormfly through a meadow.

Agatha placed her hands behind her head and took in the sun's rays. "Now this is a mission," she sighed.

"Yeah, I feel like we're experiencing the same things as the girl in the story," Merrill agreed.

"And what makes you say that?" Stormfly asked.

"She ended travelling all over the world in order to find the different keys. I imagine her journey was as carefree as this."

"And naive," Stormfly added. "Don't forget in achieving her unhappiness the girl brought misfortunes everyone around her and plunged the world into chaos."

"Yeah, good point."

"Well, lucky for us we're all mature," said Agatha.

"Most of the time," Astrid corrected. "Let's face it most of the time we met around and cause a bit of chaos as well."

"You know I'm still surprised that you didn't go with Hiccup," said Merrill curiously.

"Each team needed a team leader and we have very few inarguable leadership qualities," said Astrid.

"Good point," Stormfly nodded. "I can only imagine the disaster if Snotlout was put in charge of a team."

"Which is exactly why Spitelout is in charge of his team," said Astrid.

"You sure that was wise?" Agatha asked. "The apple doesn't far from the tree family."

"Which is also why I put Adelaide with them, she'll be able to keep them in line."

"Three shape shifting together in one team," said Stormfly. "Let's hope they don't get themselves into trouble."

* * *

Meanwhile there was an awkward silence between Ragnar, Heather and Lyon. It was definitely putting pressure on Heather as she knew that Lyon had a crush on her, but her feelings were to Ragnar.

"This can't be happening," she moaned quietly.

"Okay, Lyon, tell me why are you tagging along with us?" Ragnar demanded.

"Because this task is going to require a certain amount of finesse that you sorely lack," Lyon said plainly.

"What?" Ragnar stared.

"Please, asking you to handle this would be asking those twin of yours not to demolish something," said Lyon dismissively. "The fact of the matter is you been out of the game for seven years, anyone would be rusty after that long. Trust me, you need me much more than you realise."

"In case you've forgotten we were inside a seal, to us no time passed at all," Ragnar reminded. "So how can I be rusty? Not even Snotlout has said anything like that before."

"You're certainly acting like him," said Lyon.

"Boys, let's try and work together," said Heather placing herself between the two of them.

"She's right," said Lyon. "Finding the remaining clock pieces is my priority. Just leave everything to me."

"That's not exactly what I meant," Heather sighed.

"Hang on, where did you hear that?" Ragnar frowned.

"A better question is who hasn't heard about it," said Lyon.

"You're saying that someone spread a rumour," Heather stared.

Lyon nodded. "A rumour with a lot of facts behind it. I suspect that will see some treasure hunters on our way."

* * *

The Jorgensons were at a cliff that overlooks the ocean as they too were looking for another clock piece.

"We saw that Ruby was right that there was a clock piece here?" Snotlout asked looking at his dad.

"That girl knows her stuff," said Spitelout.

"I'm sure it's here somewhere," said Adelaide. She then looked at her father and older brother. "You know I think this the first time we've been together on a mission since the incident."

"Thanks for reminding me," Snotlout grumbled. "Still can't believe that Hiccup rescued us."

"I'm just happy to see that the two of you are alive and well," said Spitelout looking at them. "Now let's show _Dragon Tail_ what the Jorgenson Clan can do."

"Yeah!" Snotlout and Adelaide cheered.

* * *

Meanwhile Hiccup and the others were still talking to the archaeologists. The head archaeologist was certainly younger and looks quite adventurous and was the only one with a beard. One was an old man with white hair, another was an elf wearing a pair of glasses and the final one was a dwarf with no beard.

"We are members of a prestigious Archaeological Society," the head archaeologist explained.

"He certainly looked like archaeologists," said Ruby.

"Indeed," said the archaeologist with white hair. "We're here because we've heard that _Dragon Tail_ are searching for pieces of a legendary clock. Is this true?"

Everyone is quite surprised by this as the intent was to keep the finder secret as possible.

"Excuse me, but where did you hear that?" Sigrid asked.

The elven archaeologists then step forward. "Now now, I hardly think that matters Missy."

"Leave it to the rumour mill, huh," said Toothless folding his paws.

"No, it can't be!" Sigrid gasped in horror. "There must be a traitor in ranks of _Dragon Tail_."

"How did you come with that conclusion?" Toothless asked.

"The _Legion Platoon_ is super-secret organisation, barely anyone knows that they exist," Sigrid pointed out. "I'm sure they wouldn't let word slip out. If that is the case then someone from inside the Guild must leaked it."

"No way that what happened," said Ruby.

"I agree," said Hiccup. "Even Snotlout and the twins know when to keep a secret."

"I haven't gotten to know everybody in the Guild yet so I'm not sure what to think about them. So sorry," said Sigrid looking quite hysterical.

"You were saying," said Gustav looking at the archaeologists.

"We would very much appreciate if you would put a hold this little adventure of yours," said the head archaeologist.

"How can?" Ruby asked.

"According to the data we gathered the pieces of the clock have been scattered around the world in shrines, ruins and other abandoned sites," said white haired archaeologist. "And if I'm not mistaken your Guild is attempting to collect all of them."

"How the heck could you possibly know that?" Ruby frowned.

"After years of study of the _Key of the Starry Heavens_ , from an archaeological standpoint, we now believe there's actually more to the book then it would seem. Understand?" said the head archaeologist.

"No, not really," said Ruby honestly.

"But it's so simple," he groaned. "Let me spell it out. We have come to the conclusion that the book actually pinpoints several important archaeological sites, such as ancient ruins and shrines that pepper the globe. You see we have a theory that the various places where the girl go searching for the mystical keys are actually modelled after these important sites. The ultimate goal of our Archaeological Society is to keep safe from harm. They're remnants of a culture heritage and must be respected."

"If you and your friends go prancing around in there all willy-nilly you could irreparably damage a piece of history," said the white haired archaeologist.

"Therefore would you be so kind as to forget about the clock," said the elven archaeologist. "We would greatly appreciate it. Yes, we insist that you forget."

"You've got to be kidding," said Ruby. "I figured that out when I read the _Key of the Starry Heavens_ as a little kid. I can't believe it took you so long."

The archaeologist then stared at her.

"You're certainly smarter than you look, Ruby," said Toothless. He then added quickly. "And I mean that as a compliment."

The head archaeologist then stared at Ruby. "Uh… Ruby?"

* * *

Meanwhile Ragnar and his team finally reached the location which will be provided. They found themselves in the clear that looked towards some ruins and judging from their shape they weren't very stable.

"This is it," said Ragnar.

"Ruins," said Lyon.

"Ruby said it somewhere inside, but if we're not careful we might buried along with them," said Heather noticing the instability of the supports of the ruins.

"Then let's be careful of our investigations," said Ragnar.

* * *

Meanwhile on the ship, the archaeologists were still trying to convince them to leave.

"Listen to me!" the head archaeologist yelled at Ruby. "It is imperative that you forget the clock!"

"I can't just forget about it okay!" Ruby yelled back. "I understand the ruins are important, but I'm preparing my father's dying wish. My dad waited for seven long years, he waited for me! He believed I could keep the world from plunging into chaos! He left the task to me, his daughter, and nobody else! He believed in me to the end, that's why I can't forget, because I don't want to let them down!"

"Ruby is so brave," Sigrid cried.

The archaeologist then looked at Ruby who was beginning to cry, but then the wind suddenly picked up and Hiccup was thrown overboard.

"No, Hiccup!" Toothless yelled as he and Ruby rushed over to the side.

"He fell in!" Ruby panicked.

Due to his prosthetic legs, Hiccup wasn't a strong swimmer and at his side the wave is brushing against the boat were rough to him. He was trying to stay aloft, but the current was far too strong.

"He's going to drown!" Sigrid gasped in horror.

"What do we do?" Gustav asked.

Then suddenly the archaeologist then jumped into the sea and began swimming to Hiccup.

"Any friend of Ruby Heartfull is a friend of ours," said the head archaeologist as they swam. "And we always help our friends out."

They then grabbed Hiccup and then tossed them over towards the ship. Then suddenly he began to glow and return to his normal size and landed on the ship.

"I'm back to normal," he said looking at himself.

"But how?" Toothless frowned.

"That was us," said the head archaeologist. "We happen to know a little magic ourselves. Ruby Heartfull story touched our hearts and inspired us so we returned due to normal. Think of it as a thank you from our Society."

"Thanks a lot," said Hiccup gratefully.

"We wish you luck on your journey! Our hearts go with you! Stop at nothing and fulfil your father's last wish!"

Ruby then we at them. "You bet I will!"

The archaeologists waved as the ship continue to make his way across the lake.

"That was certainly a surprise," said the elven archaeologist.

"She's definitely got the Heartfull spirit," said dwarven archaeologist.

"Indeed she does," said the white haired archaeologist. "Unfortunately that means that she'll end up breaching it sooner or later."

"Was it truly wise to let her go Bjorn?" said the elven archaeologist looking at the head archaeologist.

"What a curious coincidence," said Bjorn. "However, I'm afraid as things are now Magnus' daughter will find what she is looking for."

* * *

Hiccup and his team had managed to reach the shore and were now crossing a large desert with the heat of the sun bearing down on, but there was no sign of any ruins of any kind or places where the clock piece could be hidden.

"This can't be the right place you guys," said Hiccup looking at the vast desert over a large sand dune. "I mean look, there's nothing here."


	9. Labyrinth Capriccio

Hiccup and his team was still trying to find any trace of an ancient ruin in the vast desert. Then Gustav saw something shining in the distance.

"Guys, I think I saw something shiny," he said.

"Let's investigate," said Hiccup.

* * *

They made their way towards the direction that Gustav pointed out and found some sort of strange mechanism buried in the sand. It was very hard to describe because while it was made of stone it had with description is on it and pieces appear to be floating in mid-air in some sort of formation.

"Let's say here," said Ruby examining it.

"What do you think this weird looking thing is?" Toothless asked.

"I'm not sure, but I had to guess…" Gustav drowned.

"It some strange door isn't it," said Sigrid.

"Maybe, but how do we get it open?" Ruby asked.

"There must be some way to open it," said Hiccup examining it.

"Giving this some sort of trick to it?" Sigrid asked.

Gustav then saw something that resembled a keyhole. "Is that what I think it is?"

"It looks like a keyhole."

"Pity we don't have the key to open it," said Hiccup. Then he pulled out something out of his backpack. "Fortunately I always come prepared."

He then pulled out some sort of toolbox.

"What's that?" Ruby asked.

"Just of my tools," he said as he began looking through his toolbox. "I'm willing to bet I might be able to use them as picklocks."

He then bought out some very precise tools that resemble needles and then he began to fiddle with the keyhole. He barely got started when the entire mechanism began to glow.

"Wow, way to go," said Ruby.

"Nice work," Sigrid cheered.

Hiccup removed his tools from the keyhole. "I do what I can."

Then the mechanism began to turn and glowed so bright that it blinded them. The glow then died down and the mechanism began to slow down.

"Uh, I've got a bad feeling about this," said Ruby.

Suddenly the ground gave way and they found themselves sinking in a sinkhole and they began screaming as they fell.

* * *

Meanwhile Ragnar and his group had finally reached the ruins, but there was no sign of an entrance.

"Look at their," said Heather.

"Did you find a way in?" Ragnar asked. He then saw what she was looking at. "Whoa, what is that thing?

It was some sort of strange rock formation with a triangle-shaped door.

"It looks like an entrance to me," said Lyon.

"Going inside is our only option at this point," said Heather.

Then suddenly they saw a light emerging from the rock formation and they quickly realise that it was a golem.

"None shall pass under my watchful eye," it said as he began to move.

"We'll have to get past the Guardian first," said Heather.

"That's just great," said Ragnar as he placed his hands together. "Sorry…"

"But we don't have time to play with you," said Lyon placing his hands together.

The goal then stretched its best towards the two of them and the use their magic hold it back. However the magic had no effect on it whatsoever and they barely had time to dodge the fists.

"Why didn't it work?" Ragnar yelled.

"Our magic has no effect on it," said Lyon.

"You shall not pass under my watchful eye," said the golem.

"It's no find their magic somehow," said Heather.

"This is bad," said Ragnar.

They then quickly jumped the way as it swung its fists yet again. As Heather jumped into the air she realise that only one of the golem's eyes were glowing and understood what the golem had been saying.

"That glowing eye, maybe if I hit it…" she said.

She then unleashed a burst of water and struck the eye dead on and immediately it covered his face.

"So its eye is its weakness," said Ragnar. He then looked at Heather. "Good thinking, Heather."

"When it said under my watchful eye I figured that had to be it," she said.

Suddenly the door began to open.

"Look the doors opening," said Lyon. He then turned at Heather. "Your brilliant plan worked, Heathy!"

"Um, please don't ever call me that again," said Heather.

"Let's just get inside you guys," said Ragnar.

* * *

They soon made their way inside and found some ancient ruins. There was some sort of doorway floating above them were cubes with strange markings on them.

"These appear to be ruins of a temple," said Lyon.

"Hey, look isn't that the Temple of Thor emblem?" Ragnar asked pointing just above the door.

Indeed it was the emblem which was that of a hammer with ancient inscriptions engraved on it.

"One of those cloaking rocks cubes?" Heather asked looking at the cubes above them.

"They've got strange markings on every side of them," Lyon noted.

"I think we can have a much better chance of finding the clock pieces if we split up," said Ragnar.

"I'll see what I can find down here," said Lyon looking at the left passageway.

"Okay I'll take a look inside," said Ragnar making his way to the passage ahead of them.

Heather was making a way to the right passageway, but then noticed something on the cubes. "Are those arrows?"

Lyon noticed something unusual about the blocks as well. "There's definitely something odd about these rocks." He then raised his hand and began to glow. "Let's see how this will affect them."

Ragnar made his way through the door and soon came to a dead end the entire place was a complete wreck. He began looking through the wreckage but found nothing and noticed Lyon moving the blocks into a single line.

"What are you doing?" he asked approaching him.

"The arrows inscribed on the box must mean something," said Lyon. "So I'm using my magic power to move them."

"What good is that going to do?"

"You care to explain," said Lyon looking at Heather. "Tell him Heathy."

"I thought I told you not to call me that," Heather glared.

"Slick move Lyon, you've just burned your own pyre," he groaned. He then quickly approached Heather. "Sorry, Miss Heathy."

"Can we please get serious?" said Ragnar facepalming himself.

"You should tell him that," said Heather.

Ragnar then looked at Heather. "So, what was your idea?"

"Well, something seems heard about that Temple of Thor emblem," said Ruby pointing up at the emblem. "Does it look strange to you?"

Ragnar looked at the emblem and saw that it was indeed off. "Now that you mention it, it does look a little off. I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be a diamond shape."

"Yes, I think you're right," said Lyon.

"Hold on a minute," said Heather.

He then outstretched hand, which began to glow, at one of the cubes. She then moved into position within the emblem's square.

"And that is what?" Ragnar asked.

"If we move the blocks like this…"

"We might be able to open the door," Lyon finished following her example and placed a second and third within the square.

"Ah, I get it now," Ragnar smiled.

"Well, it certainly took you long enough," Lyon spat.

Ragnar then outstretched his hand then move the last of the cubes into the square. When he plays the cubes inside they make sure the animals were pointing of the directions.

"Now let's apply our magic to all four of the arrows at once," said Lyon.

Their hands began to glow, Ragnar had to use both hands since there were only three of them. They then concentrated their magic on the four cubes and they began to glow. However, nothing happened.

"What's wrong?" Heather frowned. "Nothing happened."

"Give it a second," said Lyon.

Suddenly the square began to turn until it was a diamond shape.

"It worked and it's all thanks to you Heather!" Ragnar cheered.

"Oh, it was nothing," said Heather blushing slightly.

Suddenly the emblem began to glow in a blinding light.

"Is this light or magic power?" Lyon asked.

"It's so bright," said Heather covering her eyes.

"Looks like we've only just got started," Ragnar groaned as the light consumed them.

* * *

Meanwhile Hiccup and his team found that they had fallen into a large hall that went deep underground. Fortunately they managed to survive the fall, barely, but they were now trapped.

"Hey, is everyone all right?" Hiccup asked wincing likely.

"I think so," Toothless groaned.

"I'm still alive somehow," said Gustav.

"I thought we were goners," said Ruby. She then noted they were one member short. "Wait, where's Sigrid?"

They found her with her head buried in the sand. Without hesitation all of them grabbed her legs.

"Okay, altogether now," said Hiccup.

They then pulled and managed to pull out. Sigrid began to split sand out of her mouth.

"You're not hurt you?" Ruby asked.

"I'm fine," she said trying to get the sand out of the mouth. "Though I got a nice taste of the desert."

Hiccup then found a doorway of some kind, but it was completely sealed.

"No, this one is sealed as well with magic," he said.

"It doesn't even have a keyhole anywhere," Toothless noted.

"Don't worry I'm an expert puzzle solver all we have to do is say the correct phrase and it will open up," said Ruby confidently. "Let's try the obvious first. Open Sesame!"

Unsurprisingly the door did not budge. Ruby then tried several other phrases but none of them seem to be working.

"Did you really think that would work?" Gustav whispered to Hiccup.

"Don't get angry, her temper is as this is Astrid's," said Hiccup.

"Ah, no such luck," Ruby groaned. "I guess we'll just have to yell out every phrase we can think of until we can find something that works."

"We could for the rest of our lives if we do that," said Hiccup.

"You got any better ideas?" Ruby snapped.

"We could try asking politely," Gustav offered. He then places hands together in front of the door. "Oh, please Mr Door please open up for me and my friends."

Strangely the door began to shift and soon they found a passageway leading deeper underground.

"Huh, so we had to do was asking nicely? That's one wacky security system," Toothless stared.

"In fairness I don't think any thieves would bother trying to be polite," said Hiccup.

"Good point," said Toothless.

* * *

They soon follow the passageway and found themselves in a strange looking chamber. In the centre of it was some sort of podium with the Temple of Thor emblem on it.

"That's the Temple of Thor emblem," said Toothless. "I wonder why it's here."

"It makes sense," said Ruby. "You say these ruins are known as the Holy Sanctum, it's one of the Temple of Thor's sacred sites. It's been mentioned in a ton of their historical documents and other literature, but existence was never proven that is until now."

Sigrid looked at her. "Wait, does that mean…"

"We're the first people to step foot in these ruins for centuries," Hiccup finished.

"Oh, I get it," said Gustav. "So that's why those old guys made such a big fuss."

"I don't blame them, we do have a reputation of destroying things," said Toothless.

"Not on purpose," said Hiccup folding his arms. "Normally the fault falls upon those we fight."

Suddenly the passageway they entered close behind them leaving them completely trapped in the chamber.

"The door closed!" Toothless panicked.

"What are we going to do now, we're locked in?" Gustav asked.

"Don't worry, I've currently got this," Ruby assured making her way to the podium. "I read a lot of adventure stories when the heroes get stuck they do something like this."

She then turned the emblem around as if it was some sort of key.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," said Hiccup.

"Relax to open a secret door," said Ruby smiling as a door slid open.

However, instead of passageway there was a large head inside it. Soon three more doors opened each one revealing a very stone ugly face.

"What are those things?" Toothless panicked.

"Whoa, they're so creepy looking," said Gustav.

"Yeah, no kidding," Ruby quivered.

Then suddenly the stone faces began to move towards them and pillars saw the shootout from the walls. The way they were moving it was impossible for them to get out of the way meaning they were about to be squashed by the stone faces.

"And this is why I told you not to fiddle with things," said Hiccup looking at Ruby.

"Those things are going to crush us!" Toothless panicked.

"I know, maybe if I turn this back," said Ruby reaching for the podium. However, before she could turn the emblem back around the podium sank into the ground. "Where did it go?"

A few seconds later, the faces slammed into one another as did the pillars and Hiccup and his team were completely hidden from sight. Fortunately they were still pretty much alive by climbing into the nostrils of the statute.

Once the statues backed away they climbed out on the nostrils looking completely relieved.

"Ah, man, that was a close one," Gustav panted.

"How are we ever going to get out before the place?" Sigrid moaned.

The podium reappeared and drew they quickly made her way towards it.

"We just have to turn this giveaway," she said. She then gave them a hopeful look. "I hope."

"That's reassuring," Hiccup groaned.

This time pillars started to come down from the top of them and the faces were now moving back into position again.

"Uh-oh," said Hiccup.

"Now they're coming from above?" Gustav stared.

"Oh, crap," Toothless groaned.

"We have no choice but to climb back into the nostrils," said Hiccup.

"I'm afraid that not going to work this time," Toothless winter pointing at the statues. They turned and saw that the statues nostrils were now sealed. "Their noses are sealed."

"We need think of something quick!" Hiccup yelled.

"Is it time for punishment, yet," said a voice.

They turned and saw Virgos standing beside them.

"Hey, it's Virgo," Toothless stared.

"When did you summon her?" Hiccup asked looking at Ruby.

"I didn't," said Ruby in a panic voice.

"I came here under my own power," said Virgo.

"Can you make a hole in the floor and quick!" Ruby yelled.

"Very well, as you wish," said Virgo raising her arms and her eyes began to glow.

A few seconds later, Hiccup and the others found themselves falling down into a deep crevice.

"Why does this keep happening?" Ruby yelled.

* * *

Heather finally regained consciousness and found that Ragnar was awake.

"Where are we?" she asked looking at him.

"I don't know," he said honestly. "I'm not even sure how we ended up in this place."

Lyon was standing on a cube looking around. "It would appear that this giant structure is intended to be used for teleportation."

Heather then saw for the first time that they were in a very weird looking place. It was hard to describe, but it appeared they were in some sort of void and all around her she could see cubes at the once they saw upstairs and a large stone diamonds all over the place like there was some sort of gate or something.

"So many floating arrow rocks," she said. She then looked at the large stone gates "Are we supposed to pass through those gates things somehow?"

"I bet the clock piece will looking for is at the end of them," said Lyon extending his hand which began to glow.

"Maybe we can use our power to make a path out of these rocks," said Ragnar as he did the same.

"It's worth a try," said Heather following their lead.

Almost instantly they created a pathway from the rocks.

"Sweet, it worked," Ragnar smiled as they began making their way across the path. "But I wonder who came up with such an elaborate nonsense."

"Fancy meeting you here," said a voice above them.

Ragnar looked up and saw Ryker standing on one of the gates with a large smirk on his face.

"Ryker!" Ragnar growled.

"I must thank you for opening the door for me," he said with a smile. "You made my work a whole lot easier. You maybe shabby Vikings, but you sure helped me out."

The three of them then jumped off the path and jumped onto the floating stones.

"I take it he's the enemy," said Lyon.

"Figured you wouldn't get your hands dirty," Ragnar glared.

"Why do all that was hard work when you have a couple of kids doing the work for you?" Ryker smiled broadly. "Unfortunately, for you I got no further use for you. That clock pieces as good as mine."

"No! We won't let that happen!" said Heather stubbornly.

"You've got spirit, girl, but that's not enough to beat me," said Ryker as he drew his blade.

Then suddenly slime exited from his armour and headed straight towards them. All of them just stared at him and the slime oozed out.

"What the—" Ragnar stared.

Ragnar quickly jumped out of the way, but Heather and Lyon weren't so lucky and were caught in the slime.

"What is this staff?" Lyon yelled.

"This is so disgusting," said Heather in disgust.

Ragnar landed on one of the floating rocks and saw the two of them trapped within the slime.

"I didn't get a chance to warn them," he said kicking himself. "He's trapped you with his magic power!"

"I hope you like my _Slime Magic_ ," Ryker smiled tapping his blade on his shoulder.

" _Like_ isn't the choice of word I would use," said Heather.

"It's all over for you now," said Ryker as he pointed his sword towards the cubes which began to form a path. "Now if you don't mind I must retrieve my prize."

Ragnar then attempted to free Heather and Lyon by freezing the slime in the hopes to shatter it.

"Hang on, once it's frozen I can shatter it to get you out of there," he said concentrating his magic.

"Don't worry about us," said Lyon.

"You need to go after him while you have the chance," said Heather.

Ragnar reluctantly stopped his attempt of freezing the slime. "Yeah, you're right," he said very reluctantly. "But first I did tell you that slime gradually absorbed your magic and physical power. So please be careful."

"I told you not to worry," said Lyon. "This is nothing I can't handle. Remember we share the same master."

"Good point," said Ragnar.

Ryker was using his slime to speed his way across the path he had created, but it appeared to have no end.

"If you think you can keep up with me you got another thing coming, boy," he said.

"You better hope I don't catch up with you, because when I'm done you regret ever tangling with the _Dragon Tail_ Guild!" Ragnar yelled as he ran over the pathway.

Ryker was still using his slime to make his way across the park and got a very strong lead over Ragnar. He looked back and saw that you were no longer following him much to his surprise.

"Guess avoiding had what it takes to catch up with me," he said. "Fine by me so long as I get the clock piece."

He then turned around and saw another pathway facing him and Ragnar was standing directly in front of him.

"What?" he yelled.

"It certainly wasn't easy, but I caught up with you," Ragnar admitted.

Ryker then noticed the pathway they were in one big loop.

"Ah, so you noticed these gates formed one giant group," said Ryker. "You're smarter than you look, boy."

"It's not too hard to figure out if you just paid attention."

"I guess if I want you out of the way just have to settle things once and for all," said Ryker as he lifted one of the rocks and sent it flying towards Ragnar.

"I'm about to be the crap out of you just like in Edolas," said Ragnar as he lifted one of the rocks as well and send it towards him.

The two rocks collided and then fell into place completing the pathway and then a split second later he began to glow. The glow started to pass through each and every one of the gates and then they soon realise that the pathway formed the Temple of Thor emblem.

Then suddenly appearing within the centre over the great void was some weird type of mechanism which was no doubt piece of the clock.

"Is that it?" Ragnar stared.

"Has to be," said Ryker.

Ragnar then removed his shirt. "You're not getting your hands on it you hear me."

"I see you're starting to get serious," said Ryker.

"Serious of giving you a beat down," said Ragnar.

* * *

Meanwhile Hiccup and his team had finally managed to reach the bottom of the crevice and all of them were no worse for wear.

"I'm getting quite sick of falling," Hiccup groaned.

"Hang on, where is Virgo?" Ruby asked looking around.

"She's right behind you," Sigrid pointed.

Ruby turned and saw Viggo standing there. "I'm ready to serve mistress," she said.

"This place is getting weirder and weirder," said Toothless looking around.

"No kidding," said Hiccup. He then looked at everyone. "Okay let's get moving."

"Mistress, I finished preparing this for you," she said holding out a whip. "Here."

Ruby beamed. "You fixed the _Fleuve d'étoiles_." She then saw that it was more whip like now. "Hang on. Sorry, but it looks like an ordinary whip now."

"It's far from ordinary," Virgo assured. "But I did make a few changes to make it more functional."

"That's awesome!" Ruby cried with excitement. "Whoa, I can't thank you enough!"

"It was my pleasure mistress," said Virgo and then vanished.

"Great another room without another door," Hiccup moaned.

"I bet there's some solid trick to this room as well," said Gustav.

"Just don't touch anything," said Hiccup. "We don't want a repeat of last time."

"Good point, we barely got out of there alive," Ruby agreed.

"I'm sure we got nothing to fear here," said Gustav leaning against a pillar.

Then suddenly he felt his hand sinking into the pillow and realise that he triggered some sort of mechanism.

"What did I just say?" Hiccup groaned.

"I didn't mean to!" Gustav cried.

"So much for not touching," Ruby groaned.

Suddenly the ground began to shake.

"Why is the ground shaking?" Sigrid asked.

"It feels like there might be something coming this way," said Toothless.

"I have a bad feeling about this," said Hiccup.

Then suddenly rolling towards them was a large rolling boulder. Without a moment's hesitation they quickly ran as quickly as they could.

"Run for your lives!" Ruby cried.

Hiccup quickly turned around in places hands together. " _Fire Dragon's Plasma Blast!_ "

He fired a plasma blast directly at the boulder and it exploded. Unfortunately, it in even slow it down and there was no indication of any scratches either.

"It was worth a try!" Hiccup yelled as he continued to run.

Soon coming into view was a large gorge and spanning across at the three bridges. They quickly came to a stop knowing that the border was a good distance away from them.

"All those bridges!" Gustav pointed.

"Yeah, there's three of them!" Toothless cried.

"I have a feeling only one of them is real," said Sigrid.

"We've got no way of knowing which ones are fake," said Ruby. "What now?"

"We don't have time to hesitate," said Hiccup. "I pick right!"

"I pick left!" Ruby yelled.

"Maybe it's the middle one," said Sigrid hopefully.

Toothless looked at Gustav. "Gustav, you're the tiebreaker."

"Uh, well, it's the middle one!" Gustav yelled.

"Then let's go!" Hiccup yelled.

Without hesitating, since the boulder was only a few metres away from them, they ran down the middle part and the moment they did that to pass either side of them broke apart.

"Gustav, chose correctly," said Toothless slightly relieved.

"Look at ahead!" Gustav yelled.

Then suddenly to their dismay they saw another boulder rolling towards them on the bridge they were on.

"There's one in front of us too!" Sigrid yelled.

"What should we do now, Hiccup?" Toothless asked.

"Toothless, I need you to pick up Ruby and Sigrid," Hiccup ordered. He then turned to Gustav. "Gustav, I want you to grab my arm and hold on."

"I can take care of myself, Hiccup," said Gustav strongly.

"Fine, then you're on your own," said Hiccup.

Toothless turned into his battle form and grabbed both Ruby and Sigrid. "You two ladies hold on tight," he said.

"Here they come!" Hiccup yelled.

Then at the last second, Toothless, with Ruby and Sigrid in each hand and Hiccup and Gustav jumped into the air as high as they could using their flames to give them more thrust. The moment the two boulders collided they shattered into thousands of pieces.

"What did I tell you?" said Gustav smiling at Hiccup.

"I've got to admit that was an impressive jump," Hiccup admitted.

"A Gustav," Gustav cheered.

"That was too close," said Toothless.

"Tell me about it," Ruby sighed with relief.

However that wasn't the end of their troubles, because the impact of the boulders that caused the bridge to collapse. Naturally this meant that Hiccup and Gustav were going to fall to their doom and then to make matters worse a large piece of rock struck Toothless reverting back into his normal form and dropping Ruby and Sigrid.

Hiccup quickly turned to Gustav. "Hey, Gustav, grab something with your magic!" Hiccup yelled as he pulled the large fiery hand.

"Okay," Gustav nodded doing the same.

"We're doomed!" Sigrid cried grabbing Toothless.

"Not if I can help it," said Ruby grabbing her new and improved _Fleuve d'étoiles_. "It's time to see what this baby can do. Let's go, _Fleuve d'étoiles_!"

She then swung the whip and immediately turned into dazzling water and wrapped itself around one of the stone pillars pulling them to safety. Hiccup and Gustav's flames managed to wrap themselves around another pillar and they managed to swing to safety.

"Well, that was terrifying," said Ruby. She then looked over to Hiccup and Gustav. "You guys okay over there?"

"We're good," Hiccup assured.

"Okay, now what are we going to do?" Toothless asked.

"Well, the only way out is down," said Hiccup looking at the large gaping crevice below.

"That is a lot easier said than done," Ruby groaned.

* * *

Meanwhile Ragnar and Ryker were doing battle.

"Let's see if you're ready for this," said Ryker raising his sword he then used the slime in order to cross the void towards the clock piece. "It's over, boy!"

"That's what you think!" Ragnar yelled and channelled his magic with in the slime freezing is in place. "Gotta!"

Ryker looked at his frozen slime. "You froze my slime," he growled.

" _Ice-Make: Floor!_ " Ragnar yelled raising his hands together and created a nice bleach towards the clock piece.

"I'm not through with you yet," said Ryker and raised his sword high into the air. Suddenly the ice around this line began to melt. "You forgot that I absorbed your friend's _Fire Magic_."

Ragnar was already crossing the bridge when he saw the ice melting around the slime.

"What the—"

The two of them then reached out their hands towards the clock piece and grabbed the clock piece at exactly the same time. Suddenly they were consumed by a bright light and vanished into thin air.

* * *

Heather and Lyon saw the whole thing from their position.

"What happened?" Lyon stared.

"They just vanished into thin air," said Heather looking quite worried.

"Doubtful, more likely they went back to wherever we came from. Which means…"

"We need to find a way to jump into that light too," Heather finished.

"On the other hand if we stay here I get to spend the rest of my life with you," he said smiling at her. "That doesn't sound too bad to me."

"And Astrid for that she had it tough with Snotlout," Heather grumbled. "Being stuck with you for the rest of my life is not exactly what I had in mind."

"Calm down, I'm just joking," Lyon assured.

"I'm starting to feel quite tired," said Heather weakly.

"This magic must be to blame."

"No, I think it's you."

"Now!" said Lyon placing his hands together. "Time to break free!"

"Do you have enough power to freeze the slime?" Heather asked.

"No need to worry, I'm merely releasing magic power just be careful not to get caught up in it."

"All right," she said. Suddenly the slime freeze and shattered freeing the two of them. "You shattered?"

"Let's go," said Lyon.

"Right," Heather nodded.

* * *

Meanwhile Ragnar and Ryker had returned to the ruins and were now clutching the clock piece and tried to pry it out of the other ones hands.

"Will you just give me the clock piece already?" said Ragnar stubbornly.

"You think I'm handed over to you?" Ryker spat.

"Well you better let go of it now or else," Ragnar warned.

"No you let go or else," Ryker growled.

A split second later the flame slime exited out of Ryker's armour and slammed right into Ragnar covering in head to foot. He winced in pain as he felt the slime burning into his skin.

"Ah, man, that so hot," he winced.

"That would be the power from your pal, Hiccup," Ryker smirked.

"I'll show you," said Ragnar placing his hands together. "This is nothing I can bust out of here!"

"Not likely, boy," Ryker smirked.

Suddenly a combination of water and ice headed straight towards him and he barely had time to dodge. He looked up and saw that Lyon and Heather was standing there.

"Ragnar, haven't you had enough of this buffoon!" Lyon called. "How long are you going to let him have his way with you? Get your act together, I won't have you bring shame to Ur!"

Ragnar then broke free from the slime shattering it to pieces. "No way that's going to happen!" he yelled. He then created an iced tower lifting him up into the air. "This has nothing to do with Ur! And I would never do anything to tarnish her reputation!"

"Ragnar, attack him now!" Heather yelled as she and Lyon channel their magic.

"He's open!" Lyon yelled.

"Game over," said Ragnar creating a bow and arrow of ice. "Like I said, when I'm done with you you're never going to mess with _Dragon Tail_ again!"

Ragnar then unleashed the arrow and it headed straight towards Ryker.

"No!" he roared as it struck him.

If you were so much force that he collapsed.

Ragnar then grabbed the clock piece. "I'll be taking this with me."

"N-no, I'm not done yet," said Ryker weakly.

"I think you are," said Ragnar.

* * *

Meanwhile Hiccup and his team finally finished climbing down after taking several hours. They then found themselves in what looked like some sort of city, but it was far deep underground.

"Guys, where are we?" Gustav asked.

"It must be the lowest level of the ruins," said Sigrid.

"It looks like it used to be a city at one point," said Toothless looking around.

"The priests that were charged with guarding the Temple of Thor's sacred sanctum lived their entire lives down here… at least according to legend," said Ruby. "Can you imagine never stepping foot outside?"

"Finding the clock piece in all this is not going to be easy," said Hiccup.

"Can't you sniff it out, Hiccup?" Gustav asked.

"No, just like the clock hand I can't really smell it," said Hiccup grimly.

Ruby then felt shilling presents going down her spine.

Hiccup sniffed the air and picked up something. "Hey, I'm picking something up? Where is it coming from?"

"I've got the chills," said Ruby hugging herself. "Something feels wrong."

Then they heard footsteps and looked up to see both Daan and Valyya looking down at them.

"I hate being right all the time," Ruby groaned.


	10. Footprints of the Myth

Daan and Valyya were looking down at Hiccup and his group.

"Ah man, not this clown," Ruby groaned and quickly hit behind Sigrid.

"I take it that Windshear and Viggo were able to decipher the locations of the other clock pieces," said Hiccup looking up at them.

Daan smiled at him. "You're smarter than you look. Windshear made sure that I learned the entire story from memory." The two of them started to make their way down towards them. "And guess what it says that there is a piece of the clock right here."

"It looks like to me that you sorry losers haven't been able to find yet either," said Valyya.

Daan then saw Ruby hiding behind Sigrid. "Could that really be my lovely little gem?"

"I'm not your lovely little gem!" Ruby yelled indignantly.

"Our paths were meant to cross again, unavoidable destiny," he cried and quickly rushed over to Ruby. "I can practically feel the thread pulling us together!"

"How about you take that thread and wrap it around your neck instead!" Ruby snapped.

Daan appeared and not of heard a single word she uttered. "Oh, let me sweep you off your feet," he cried.

"Allow me to sweep you off your feet," said Hiccup taking a deep breath. " _Fire Dragon's Roar!_ "

Hiccup unleashed his breath attack upon Daan, but he merely just raised his shield and blocked it.

"I don't have time screwing around like this," he said as if the attack was nothing more than an annoyance. "Because love beckons me to its sweet song!"

Sadly the shield was deflecting Hiccup's attack to Ruby and the others giving them a nasty hotfoot.

"Hiccup, you need to be more careful!" Gustav yelled.

"That shield is not going to be easy to get past," said Toothless grimly.

Hiccup this then went aflame and he slammed them on top of the shield hoping to break through Daan's guard. However, the flames just merely bounced off the shield hitting the ruins.

"When you get out of here!" Gustav yelled at the buildings began falling on top of them.

Fortunately the falling buildings created enough just to hide them from view and Hiccup and the others took this as the opportunity to get away. Strangely Daan and Valyya were chasing after them.

"They're not chasing after us," Gustav noted.

"I hope you were able to lose them," said Sigrid hopefully.

"Exactly how I planned," said Hiccup.

"Not sure of your telling the truth or not," said Toothless.

"Let's just find what we came here for," said Ruby.

Suddenly appearing behind the corner was Daan much to her dismay.

"Hold on my little gem, first you and me need to water our garden of love," he said.

"That's got to be the craziest thing I've ever heard in my life!" Ruby snapped.

"Hold on," said Valyya appearing out of nowhere. "First you and me have to find a clock piece. Have you already forgotten that we were sent here on an important mission?"

"Did I forget my mission? No way," said Daan. He then looked at Ruby with all googly eyed. "I remember my sweet love."

"That's kind of my point," said Valyya facepalming herself.

"You should be more worried about me," said Hiccup landing in front of Daan.

"You dare stand in the way of our love!" Daaan roared pointing his spear at him. "For that I will slice you up and serve you raw. Now I'm gonna give you another taste of my magic spear! Open wide, because he it comes."

Daan then began sending powerful bursts of energy from the tip of his spear. Hiccup however was more than prepared for this and began dodging each and every single attack.

"You can't let them hit you, Hiccup!" Sigrid yelled.

"Listen to her if that thing hit you again you'll shrunken down again!" Toothless yelled.

"Don't worry, bud, I expected this," said Hiccup confidently dodging the attacks flawlessly.

"Try dodging this!" Daan yelled getting in closer.

Hiccup managed to dodge them, but attack it Ruby instead and she screamed as he began to glow.

"Ruby!" Sigrid yelled.

Suddenly Ruby shrank down until she was about 3 inches tall.

"No, no, no!" Ruby yelled looking at her small miniature self. "This is not happening to me!"

"Oh, crap, I missed," said Daan hysterically. He then picked up Ruby. "I'm so sorry, my love, I never meant for this to happen to you! I've gone and shrunk the love of my life! How could I? There's no way that you want me as a boyfriend now!"

"You're right!" Ruby yelled angrily. "But turn me back anyway!"

Daan then placed her back down onto the ground and grabbed his spear. "Of course my dear."

He was about to touch her with his spear, but then suddenly stopped as an idea popped into his head.

"Hey, what's the hold-up?" Ruby asked.

"I kind of like this cute little version of you," he said with a large smile.

"Huh?" Ruby stared.

He then picked up in the palm of his hand much to her confusion. "You were very hard as a normal sized girl, but now you're like the cutest thing I've ever seen. I want to carry you everywhere I go."

"That is not happening!" Ruby yelled furiously.

Daan didn't listen to a single word she said. "I'm going to carry you around for a little while okay. I've got a special place at home for you and then I can look at you anytime I want."

"I'm not some kind of action figure you weirdo!" Ruby yelled.

Daan then placed a piece of string around her and attached her to his belt. "I'll hang you right here and will always be together."

"You really have a strange way of courting women," said Hiccup in disbelief.

"That's putting it mildly," said Toothless.

"Yeah, he's even worse than Snotlout," Gustav nodded. "And I didn't think such a thing was possible."

"I've heard of close relationships, but this is ridiculous," said Sigrid.

"Well, you guys just tell me out here!" Ruby yelled.

"Now that my tiny beloved it is by my side, I have the heart of a lion, I fear no man!" Daan yelled facing Hiccup and raised his spear. "And thanks to her my aim is true!"

Daan then began filing another barrage of energy attacks from his spear. However, just like before Hiccup began dodging them almost as if he could see them coming.

"Cut it out, Daan!" Valyya yelled. "You can fight him later. We need to find a clock piece first."

"Can't you see that I'm busy right now?" Daan smiled. "Go on, I'm sure you can find it."

"I can't because Windshear gave you all the details about how to find it!" Valyya reminded. "I don't even know where to start looking!"

"What do we do?" Toothless asked. "The whole reason we came here was to find one of the clock pieces too."

"But there's no way we can leave Ruby behind when she so tiny and helpless," Sigrid cried.

"I've had enough of this," said Hiccup as he jumped back to dodge one of Daan's attacks. "It's time that I went on the offensive."

"Try it, pal, but my shield is able to deflect anything you throw at me," Daan smirked.

"Now who set out under fire anything you?" Hiccup smiled and then places hands together. " _Fire Dragon's Plasma Blast!_ "

Hiccup then fired a plasma blast from his hand and Daan raised his shield believing that Hiccup was attacking him. However, instead, the plasma blast struck the ground creating a massive explosion and creating an effective smokescreen.

"What happened?" said Daan looking around wildly.

Then suddenly there was a nasty smell appearing around him and he began to choke. Ruby was also beginning to choke and then soon gas appearing around them and realise what it was instantly.

"Hiccup! What are you doing?" Ruby yelled.

Hiccup use the smokescreens to get behind Daan and then unleashed his gas canister around him.

"The only thing I could think of to throw him off balance," he said.

Daan was moving so frantically that the string attaching Ruby to his belt snapped.

"No!" he cried. "Our thread of fate has been broken."

Ruby began screaming, because from her perspective the ball was enough to kill her.

"I got you!" Gustav yelled and unleashed his purple flames.

The purple flames caught Ruby, but sadly it was still quite hot much to her dismay.

"Hot! Hot!" Ruby cried. "Someone get me out of here!"

"Hold on, Ruby, I'll help you," said Toothless fly next to her.

Ruby quickly jumped onto Toothless' head and then took off.

"Hey!" Daan yelled. "Give me back my beautiful bride, cat!"

Ruby sighed with relief on top of Toothlesss' head. "Thanks, you're a real lifesaver. Now it's time to get the heck out of here."

"Just hold on site," said Toothless.

Daan however wasn't going to allow them to get away that easy and began chasing them down. "All I have to do is turn you back to normal size annual fall to the ground like a sexy sack of potatoes," he said giving chase.

He then jumped into the air and raised his spear and then unleashed traumatic blast struck both Ruby and Toothless. Ruby fell to the ground now normal sized much to her relief.

"I'm back!" she cried.

"The good and all, Ruby," said Hiccup as he and the others stared over her head. "But we got a _big_ problem on our hands."

Ruby frowned of the meaning and turned around and saw what he meant. Toothless was about twenty times his own side.

"Uh-oh," said Daan looking at his spear. "I guess my hand must have slipped a little bit."

"You think, you've turned Toothless into a giant," said Hiccup.

"This whole size changing thing is starting to get ridiculous," said Toothless angrily.

"He's got a point," said Hiccup turning on Daan. "Perhaps you should take some lessons before you is that spear of yours."

"Someone turned me back to normal!" Toothless yelled as he began stumbling around.

Toothless was still getting used to his side and kept on bumping into the old buildings.

"I hope the others are having a much easier time than we are," Hiccup sighed.

* * *

Fishlegs and the others managed to debrief Eret the mission and now they were proceeding towards the clock piece. Sadly, the cockpit was located on the top of a very tall and steep mountain.

Sadly there was no easy way to get to the top so they had a free climate much to the dismay of Fishlegs, Helga and Ingrid.

"Are you sure there's not an easier way to get were going?" Fishlegs asked.

"Hate to break it to you, but according to the map were following this is the only way," said Eret.

"If we were travelling on flat ground, I could get there in no time, but all this climbing is a huge pain in the butt," Helga mumbled.

"Yeah, Skullcrusher give your teammates a favour and fly us up to the top of this stupid thing?" Ingrid asked looking at the Exceed floating next to them.

"If I do that we run the risk of missing any important clues we might find along the way," said Skullcrusher folding his paws. "We simply can't afford to take the easy way out."

"I don't like it any more than you guys, but this is the only way to go," said Eret.

"I just hope we don't have far to climb," said Fishlegs, who was finding it harder to climb than anyone else.

* * *

Meanwhile Astrid and her team soon reached start to take a look at the map the moment they reached a crossroads.

"Hmm, it would appear we taken a wrong turn somewhere," said Astrid.

"It feels as if we've been wondering around aimlessly all day if ask me," said Agatha.

"Don't you have the directions to get there?" Merrill asked.

I have a map, but the details are extremely vague," she admitted. She then looked at the signpost. "I'm afraid we're just going to have to rely upon these road signs to show us the way."

"That's all well and good, but can anyone tell me which direction this sign is actually pointing?" Stormfly asked.

Stormfly had a fair point because the sign they were looking at looked as if it was upside down pointing one way, but the image was upside down meaning that it could be pointing the other way.

"Now that you mention it, it is a bit confusing," Merrill agreed.

"Yes, to say the least. You don't suppose this is somebody's sick idea for a prank?"

"That would be a silly thing to do," said Agatha. "Besides, isn't it a crime to change directions of a sign? One wrong turn could put somebody in real danger."

"We should at least be getting closer," said Astrid folding her arms. "Let's proceed with caution while checking the map as well."

With that they turned right and made their way down the path, but Stormfly was still troubled by the sign.

"Is it really just a random prank? Or could it be that someone deliberately trying to steer us off course?" she frowned.

Unbeknownst to them in the bushes beneath the sign, someone was indeed hiding behind it.

* * *

Meanwhile Toothless was still trying to get used to his size, but that was a lot easier said than done. He kept on colliding with the ancient ruins and it was extremely hard to control his tail which was doing the same.

"What would you going, bud!" Hiccup yelled.

"That's easy for you to say, you're not thirty feet tall!" Toothless cried as his tail slammed into another room.

"I know these ruins, but that part of the order's history!" Valyya cried. "We can't afford to run them any further!"

"I'm more afraid of these ruins ruining us!" Gustav yelled hiding behind cover as rocks fell in all directions.

"All right you overgrown, fleabag," said Daan jumping into the air.

He then struck Toothless with his spear and a few seconds later he returned back to normal size much to the relief of everyone.

"What a relief," Toothless sighed.

"Finally everyone is back to regular size," said Sigrid.

"We've got to find that missing clock piece," said Ruby.

"But how are we going to find this stupid thing is we don't know where to start looking?" Gustav asked.

Ruby pulled out the book of _Key of the Starry Heavens_. "Don't worry, I bought the book along with me to help us figure out some more clues. I have no doubt that it will point us in the right direction at least."

Unfortunately, above them were both Daan and Valyya and they had her the entire conversation.

"If we get our hands on that book we can find a piece in no time," said Valyya. Ruby and the others heard and watched as she rushed down the building towards them. "So, handed over!"

"Get back!" Gustav yelled and fired a burst of flames from his hand.

Valyya managed to dodge them. "Hey, now!"

Everyone, minus Hiccup, then started to make a run for it.

"This is our chance," said Ruby.

Daan then jumped down and landed on the ground. "You can't run from us!" he yelled.

"You sure about that," said Hiccup blocking his path. "If you want to get to them you have to go through me." He then looked back at Ruby and the others. "Go, I'll hold him off you guys go!"

"Thanks for holding him off, Hiccup!" Ruby yelled gratefully.

"You sure you don't need my help?" Toothless asked.

"No, you need to keep the others safe, I'm counting on you," said Hiccup.

"Get back here!" Valyya yelled running after them.

"If you stand in my way be prepared to pay the ultimate price!" Daan yelled pointing his spear at Hiccup.

"Sorry, but I'll have to give you an IOU," said Hiccup as he drew _Inferno_ and set it ablaze.

* * *

Ruby and the others were running as quickly as they could as Ruby looked through the book. Valyya however was starting to catch up with them.

"I've got you now!" she yelled.

"No you can't!" Gustav yelled unleashed a burst of flames from his hand.

Valyya managed to dodge it by running on the walls of the building.

Toothless then stopped to face her and then entered into his battle form. "You guys go, leave her to need," he said.

"Good luck!" Ruby yelled.

Toothless then flew as quickly as he could towards Valyya and nearly struck a blow with his fist. Valyya then tried to counter with a powerful kick, but Toothless was too fast for her and dodged it.

"You're fast," she admitted and then charged towards him. "But I'm not going to let anyone stop me!"

"Same here!" Toothless yelled charging towards him with his fist raised.

His fist then collided with her kick causing a small explosion.

* * *

Ruby and the others were too busy running to worry about Toothless.

"So, where is the piece? Have you figured that out yet?" Sigrid asked.

"I'm still trying to figure that out," said Ruby looking at the book.

Then suddenly appearing ahead of them nowhere a Toothless and Valyya two of them still trading blows. The two of them were moving so fast that it was almost a blur, but then Valyya dealt a powerful kick to Toothless' chest and he slammed into one of the statue.

Then suddenly the statue's eyes began to glow and the ground began to shake. Suddenly the floor beneath Ruby and the others disappeared and they fell right in as did Valyya. At the bottom of the hall were large spikes, but fortunately they were able to grab the stony edge.

"Ah, man, I'm out of magic power," Valyya cried as he began to lose her grip.

Ruby then handed the book to Sigrid. "Hope this," she said. Sigrid took the book and Ruby eased her way towards Valyya and stretched out her hand. "Grab my hand."

Valyya looked at her. "I can't accept an enemy's mercy," she said.

"Would you quit being so stubborn," said Ruby.

Valyya still refuse to grab her hand so Ruby grabbed her instead. However, the ledge Ruby was standing on gave way and the two of them tumbled into the chasm and fell right through the floor.

"Oh no, Ruby! Are you okay?" Sigrid cried.

"I'm still alive at least," Ruby called.

"Hang on, we're coming down to help you!" Gustav called.

"No!" Ruby yelled. "Don't worry about me, you guys just hurry up and find that clock piece. We'll meet up eventually I'm sure."

Toothless had managed to pull Gustav and Sigrid to safety and now all three of them were looking down the hole.

"Oh, I'm so worried about her. I mean she's stuck down there with that horrible little girl," said Sigrid.

"She does have her _Celestial Spirits_ with her too so she'll probably be fine," said Toothless confidently.

"Yeah," Gustav agreed. "Let's go, we can't help her from up here anyway."

"We'll fine it, Ruby, but please be careful!" Sigrid called.

"Yeah, you too!" Ruby yelled back.

"Ow," said Valyya rubbing her rear end.

"Hey, are you hurt?" Ruby asked extending her hand towards her.

Valyya merely slapped the hand away and glared at her. "You get away from me! In case you didn't notice, your so-called _help_ is how we got stuck down here in the first place!"

"You better watch your mouth little girl or else you want and up in the place so much worse!" Ruby snapped.

"I can't think of anywhere worse than being trapped down here with you!"

"What is with the attitude?" said Ruby. "You know, I met someone who looks and sounds a lot like you, except she was in such a brat."

"Whoa, such a great story," said Valyya rolling her eyes. "Obviously that wasn't me so get over it."

Ruby just growled at her.

* * *

The two of them then started to make their way down the passageway they were in.

"So what exactly is the _Legion Platoon's_ goal here anyway?" Ruby asked. "Why are you trying to collect all the clock pieces? What's with all this Holy War and chaos that?"

Valyya then turned and narrowed her eyes at her. "Well, I've got a question for you? If you don't know what we're doing then why are you and your friends trying to stop us?"

"Were trying to figure everything out that all," said Ruby simply. "Why? Is there something else we should be doing?"

"Yeah, how about leaving us alone? You guys are nothing more than just a bunch of crappy Vikings," Valyya spat. "You might as well give up when you still can."

This was definitely not the same Valyya Ruby met in Edolas.

They continued walking down the passageway.

"We need to be careful," said Ruby. "There's probably a lot more those booby-traps everywhere."

"I know, genius," said Valyya rolling her eyes. "The builders put them here to stop thieves like you and your buddies."

"You're here for the exact same reason as we are?" Ruby snapped.

Ruby then triggered a mechanism and suddenly spike shot out of the ground all around Ruby.

"Watch out!" Valyya yelled tackling Ruby to the ground just as spikes appeared where she was standing a few seconds ago.

"Thanks, you save my life," said Ruby gratefully.

"There's no need to thank me," said Valyya getting to her feet. "You try to save me earlier, I'm returning the favour by actually saving you."

Ruby just blinked.

* * *

They kept on making their way down the passage and soon reached the point of stairs and started to climb them.

"Are you seriously this unfriendly all the time?" Ruby asked. Valyya said nothing. "It's weird because you're so much like the other Valyya I know except that she's a million times nicer."

"That so," said Valyya. She then looked at Ruby. "Then how am I like this other girl?"

"Beside your personality you two are practically identical," said Ruby as they reached the top of the stairs.

"What?" Valyya stared.

"Like I said earlier she looks and sounds exactly like you and we started out his enemies to, but by the end she became one of my closest friends."

"That sounds like nothing like me, because I would never be friends with a stupid wannabe Viking like you," Valyya spat.

"You don't have to get so personal where just worried about putting the clock together is gonna cause a major problem is," said Ruby continue to walk. "We're trying to stop a worldwide disaster from happening. You know the whole _inevitable chaos_ thing?"

"Do you guys honestly think that we want to destroy the world?" Valyya stared.

"We really don't know what you want. Personally, I'm just trying to understand what the heck my dad was trying to tell me."

"Hey, you're Dad," said Valyya curiously. "You're the daughter of Magnus Heartfull, aren't you? He was one of the richest businessmen in the country."

"I may be his daughter, but I can't say that we ever saw eye to eye on much and this is no exception. I mean why would anyone go to all the trouble to hide pieces of a clock in all these weird hard to find places? I can't help but think that there has to be an easier way to go about it."

"That may be the one thing we agree on," said Valyya.

Ruby then smiled.

Valyya looked at her. "You want to tell me what's so funny?"

"Nothing," said Ruby still smiling. "Well, I was actually just thinking that you're kind of silly that all."

Valyya narrowed her eyes. "Hey, I don't appreciate you saying that about me."

"Sorry, I didn't mean it as an insult."

Then they reached a dead-end and saw statue of Thor in front of them.

"Hold on, it's a dead-end" said Ruby. "You think we should turn around and go back?"

Valyya rolled her eyes. "Geez, you don't know anything do ya? Place like this always have secret hidden exits."

Valyya then made her way to the statue.

"No, please don't!" Ruby cried.

Too late, Valyya touched the statue and suddenly the ceiling caved in and Ruby heard Valyya's screams.

"Valyya!" Ruby cried.

When the dust settled Ruby saw that Valyya was very much alive, but several rocks trapped her legs. Murray quickly rushed towards her and bent down.

"Oh may Thor, are you okay?" Ruby cried.

"Ruby!" Toothless' yelled above her.

Ruby looked up and saw Toothless and the others looking down at her from the hole in the ceiling.

"Thank Thor you're alive I was so worried," said Sigrid in relief.

"Hey, come over here and we can pull you up," said Gustav.

Ruby looked down at the unconscious Valyya.

* * *

A few moments later, Valyya was all alone, but Ruby and the others managed to pull her out rubble of her legs and tended to her wounds. When she finally woke up she saw that Ruby was gone and that there was a bandage around her leg.

Ruby and the others were long gone running through the passageway.

"I would have left her if I were you," said Toothless.

"Yeah, but that just didn't feel right to me," Ruby admitted.

* * *

Meanwhile Eret and his team finally reached the top of the mountain. However there was no sign of any ruins, in fact there were no signs that anyone had ever been on top of the mountain.

"According to the information Ruby gave you we should be sitting on top of one of the clock pieces right about now," said Eret looking at the map.

Skullcrusher folding his paws. "If that's the case why has nobody seen it yet?"

Eventually Fishlegs and the rest of his team managed to pull themselves onto the edge of the mountain completely exhausted.

"Nice of you to finally join us," Eret smiled.

"I was afraid that we would never get up that cliff," Fishlegs panted.

"The air is so thin up here," said Helga.

"Not to mention super cold," said Ingrid hugging herself.

"Don't forget that we got work to do," said Eret getting to his feet.

"Can we just catch our breath for a minute," said Fishlegs, who was practically on his hands and knees.

"I don't even think I can move right now," Helga complained.

"I know how you feel," said Ingrid.

"Fine, you guys rest and I'll have a look around," said Eret. However there wasn't much to look at. "Still don't see any of the clock pieces which means it's probably buried underground."

"So what do we do now?" Skullcrusher asked.

"Easy," said Eret.

Eret then slammed his fist into the ground and began to pummel it furiously.

* * *

Meanwhile Astrid and her team and managed to reach their location which was at the base of a very large tower that disappeared into the clouds.

"We're here," said Astrid staring up at the tower. "We finally found it."

"The _Library of Sorcery_ holds countless texts on almost every type of magic that ever been practised," said Stormfly. "It's quite impressive."

"Yeah, no joke," said Agatha. "The place is huge."

"Doesn't look like that anyone has been here in a long time," Merrill noted.

"That's the real tragedy," said Stormfly. "All that knowledge just waiting to be learned."

Astrid then extended her hand onto what she believed to be the door and it opened automatically.

Once they stepped inside they just stared in awe, because the tower was completely covered with shelves killing thousands upon thousands of books.

"You're telling me that all these books are about magic?" Agatha stared.

"What a wonderful sight to behold don't you think?" Stormfly breathed.

Merrill nodded. "Yeah, we should come back here sometime and bring Fishlegs."

"I've never seen so many books in my life," said Astrid as she approached the bookcase.

She then grabbed the book and accidentally knocked a few on the floor and then she saw someone staring at her from behind the bookcase.

* * *

Meanwhile Hiccup was still fighting against Daan and it was hard to tell who was winning.

Hiccup then jumped up into the air. " _Fire Dragon's Roar!_ " he yelled unleashing his dragon breath attack.

Daan quickly raised his shield to block the attack. "Take this!" Daan roared firing several battle blasts from the tip of his spear.

Hiccup unleashed a small burst of flame so you can dodge the attack while in mid-air and landed back onto the ground.

Daan was now starting to get annoyed. "I'm sick and tired of messing around with you!"

"I could say the same," said Hiccup.

"Then let's end this. Prepare to die." Daan then charged at Hiccup with his spear raised. "The time has come to put your fire out once and for all!"

Daan the unleashed more magical blasts from his spear directing them at Hiccup. Hiccup however just ran straight towards him, dodging the blast.

"You'll never beat me!" Hiccup yelled raising _Inferno_.

He then jumped into the air and swung his blade at Daan, who did the same with his spear.


	11. A Scoundrel At Work

Hiccup and Daan was still battling it out inside the ruins and Hiccup was slamming the now ignited _Inferno_ down on top of him. However, at the last second, Daan jumped back and Hiccup's Blade slammed into the ground.

Daan then touched the statue of Thor behind him with his spear and it grew three times its size.

"I can't believe you fell for that," said Daan's voice.

The statue then began to shake as it seven change inside made unstable and then it fell down towards Hiccup. He tried to get away from the following statue, but he was too late and dust covered the area around where the statue fell.

However, Hiccup jumped out of the dust much to Daan's surprise. "Is that all you got?" Hiccup asked.

"Excellent," Daan smiled. "Now this is the kind of fight I've been missing."

* * *

Meanwhile Ruby and the others finally managed to locate the temple within the ruins.

"Is this really the place?" Toothless asked.

Ruby looked through _Key of the Starry Heavens_. "Yeah, I think so. There's a line within the _Key of the Starry Heavens_ , 'Long and silent had the key rested, embraced by the sound of reverent prayer.'"

" _By prayer_?" said Sigrid. "That does suggest a temple of some kind."

"Yeah, but there aren't a lot of places to hide stuff here?" Gustav noted.

"I'll get an Exceed's eye view and see if I can spot anything," said Toothless and flew up into the air.

* * *

Meanwhile as Astrid was facing something back got her nerve standing on end. She was staring at the face of Tuffnut, but somehow he looked slightly older, through the bookshelves of the _Library of Sorcery_.

"Tuffnut?" Merrill blinked. "What are you doing here? And where is Ruffnut?"

"And why do you look so much older?" Stormfly asked.

"That's not Tuffnut," said Astrid looking annoyed.

"She's right," said the Tuffnut imposter as he stepped out from behind the shelves.

He certainly looked like Tuffnut, but he had a brown jacket instead of murky yellow. Also his voice sounded a bit deeper and there is a slightly more intelligent look in his eyes.

"I'm Gruffnut," he said with a small bow.

"Who's he?" Merrill frowned looking at Astrid and Agatha.

"That would be Ruff and Tuff's no good cousin," said Agatha.

"How come no one has mentioned him before?" Stormfly asked.

"Because you know good to bit liar and thief," Astrid growled. "He was sent by Alvin's mother Excellinor to steal Dragon Tail secrets ten years ago."

"It was just a misunderstanding," said Gruffnut calmly.

"Misunderstanding?" Agatha growled. "You pretended to be this awe-inspiring adventure which Tuffnut looked up to and then knocked him out, impersonated him and nearly killed Ruffnut."

"He did want?" Merrill stared.

"My word," said Stormfly.

"Fortunately, Ruffnut realised the deception and managed to expose avoided any real damage," said Astrid narrowing her eyes. "He was then sent to prison and appears he's just gotten out."

"Okay, maybe I was hired in order to steal some of your secrets, but that was ten years ago right?" said Gruffnut innocently.

"And let me guess you are here for the clock piece?" Astrid assumed.

"What gives you such a silly idea like that?" Gruffnut asked.

"Why else would you be here, you're not exactly a great reader," Astrid reminded.

"You got me," Gruffnut shrugged. "I got wind of your little scavenging hunt and figured that something _Dragon Tail_ is interested is worth quite a lot of Gil."

"Well you won't be getting your hands on it, you creep," said Agatha strongly.

"We'll see about that," Gruffnut smiled and then suddenly he vanished.

"Where did he go?" Merrill asked looking around.

"It his _Cloaking Magic_ ," said Astrid as she summoned her battle-axe. "It allows him to vanish completely."

"Which gives me the other hand!" Gruffnut's yelled.

Astrid then raised her axe and it clearly collided with something hard. "You know you would actually be dangerous if you bothered to keep quiet," Astrid smirked.

"Then you won't hear me coming," said Gruffnut.

There was silence for a brief moment and Merrill sniffed and picked up Gruffnut's scent.

"He's attacking you from behind!" Merrill cried.

Astrid quickly swung her axe and it collided with Gruffnut's invisible weapon. She swung a very powerful kick which hit him in the chest sending him crashing into one of the bookshelves.

"I have you now!" Astrid yelled charging towards him.

Merrill then leaned over towards Agatha and Stormfly. "Astrid is distracting him, this gives us the perfect opportunity to find a clock piece," she whispered.

"Good idea," said Agatha pulled out a card with her picture on it. "The moment I find a clock piece this will let you know."

"Right," Merrill nodded.

"You're staying?" Stormfly asked.

"I'm the only one that can smell him," Merrill pointed out. "I'll stay in support Astrid."

Agatha and Stormfly nodded and then made their leave.

Merrill then turned to Astrid and smelt the air. "Astrid, he is right above you!" she yelled.

Astrid then quickly jumped out of the way and a few moments later there was a massive bang and a mace shaped dent was created on the floor.

"Thanks, Merrill," Astrid smiled.

"No problem," Merrill cried happily.

"Hey, no fair!" Gruffnut yelled.

"You're the one invisible and you're saying that when a playing fair?" Astrid glared as she quickly blocked another one of his attacks.

* * *

Agatha and Stormfly were beginning their search for the clock piece.

"I'm starting to think that the _Legion Platoon_ is the source of this leak," said Agatha as they ran.

"I've been thinking the same thing," said Stormfly.

Stormfly then quickly summoned her wings and grabbed Agatha and they began to fly down deeper into the library.

"It can't be a coincidence that Gruffnut knew about looking for the clock pieces and appearing in one of their locations," said Agatha. "Maybe it was their plan all along?"

"Perhaps this is the very chaos we been worried about," said Stormfly.

"Well, there's no point fretting about it," Agatha sighed. "Let's just focus on what we can do here and now."

They soon landed on one of the bridges that span across the library. In front of them was a shelf of artefacts.

"'Upon the knowledge age of sorcery, time does rest,'" said Agatha quoting a passage from the _Key to the Starry Heavens_. "Looks like this is the spa that Ruby told us about it matches the clue and I think this is where we should start looking."

"Are you sure we'll find it here?" Stormfly asked looking at the shelves.

"The _Library of Sorcery_ , is the only place where you can find books full of old magic and techniques like these," said Agatha. "Printing technology didn't exist when most of them transcribed which means a lot of handwritten manuscripts and all these books in this section are about ancient magic so it seems like the best place to start."

"So the clock piece has to be somewhere among," Stormfly concluded.

"Talk about a needle in a haystack," said Agatha looking at all the books.

* * *

Meanwhile Hiccup and Daan was still doing battle within the ancient ruins of the city. The battle had caused several pillars to collapse which hide Hiccup from view.

Daan looked wildly for him and then Hiccup appeared from behind the dust jumping from pillar to pillar towards him until he was directly above them.

" _Fire Dragon's Roar!_ " Hiccup yelled unleashing his breath attack.

Daan raised his shield expecting the attack to head towards him, but the attack appeared and struck one of the pillars next to him. Daan realised too late what Hiccup had planned and the pillow fell down towards him, he barely had enough time to raise his shield to protect himself.

"Now I can't believe I fell for that," Daan cursed.

This left him wide open for Hiccup, whose face went ablaze. " _Fire Dragon's Blazing Claw!_ "

He then slammed his blazing fist right into Daan's stomach which sent him flying. However, Daan quickly recovered from the attack and landed on the ground on his two feet and then laughed.

"Am I missing the joke?" Hiccup asked.

"The joke is you," Daan smirked. "Your magic power is so weak."

"Huh?"

"I've been thinking about it since our last fight. Seems like offensive power is more the show than anything."

"Say what?"

"Viggo and Windshear mentioned something interesting. Is it true that you are frozen in time on an island for seven years?" Daan asked.

"Yes, what about it?" Hiccup asked.

Daan then pointed his spear at him. "I'm willing to bet the farm that is the reason you'll never be able to beat me."

"You want to test that theory?"

"You don't get it, do you?" Daan said with a large smirk. "While you are frozen _I_ had seven years to improve my skill. I'm a completely different calibre of Viking. A seven year old fossil ain't got not been on me especially since Windshear told me how to counter every single one of your moves."

"I wouldn't get so cocky," Hiccup advised. "You aren't the first to told me that and everyone who did fell by my hand." Hiccup then places hands together. " _Fire Dragon's Plasma Blast!_ "

Hiccup then fired a plasma blast directly at Daan, who immediately raised his shield and the blast was redirected in all different directions.

"Nice try," said Daan.

The redirected fire then started to shatter rocks, struck the ancient houses and slammed into Hiccup. He was hit so hard that Hiccup was sent him flying over the staircase behind him and Valyya saw him flying past.

"What the?" she stared.

* * *

Meanwhile Ruby and the others were still looking around the temple and suddenly they heard something crash through the ceiling. They quickly turned and saw that Hiccup went straight through the ceiling and landed hard on the ground.

"Hiccup!" Gustav yelled running towards him.

"What happened?" Toothless asked.

"You okay?" Ruby asked.

"So that's where you were hiding, my little gem," said a voice.

They looked up and saw Daan looking through the hole in the ceiling that Hiccup created.

"Not him again?" Ruby cried.

"And I thought we lost him," said Toothless.

Then landed on the ground and looked directly at Ruby with a large goofy smile on his face. "Give me some sugar."

"Hold on, you and me weren't quite done," said Hiccup pulling himself up.

"Please, you don't stand a chance against me," said Daan without even looking at him. He then turned his attention onto Ruby. "Now then, where were we?"

"No way!" Ruby cried hiding behind Sigrid.

Hiccup then appeared in front of him with _Infernal_ ablaze. "If you want to get her you have to go through me."

"This will be quick," said Daan drawing his spear.

* * *

Meanwhile Astrid was still battling against the invisible Gruffnut with the aid of Merrill.

"I surrender now if you know what's good for you," said Astrid.

"No way I'm going to pass this opportunity up!" said Gruffnut's voice.

Astrid quickly turned and blocked Gruffnut's mace with the blade in her battleaxe. "When will you learn that you can't beat us?"

Gruffnut tried to deal her an invisible kick, but she predicted this and caught his leg and tossed him into the bookshelves and he reappeared.

"You're not going to stop me," said Gruffnut picking himself up.

"I seem to be able to do just that," said Astrid.

Gruffnut growled and then began flailing his arms in all directions. At first Astrid was confused by this gesture until a few seconds later she something slammed into her constantly.

Merrill just stared as Astrid skidded across the terrace. "What happened?"

"I'm don't just make myself disappear you know," Gruffnut smirked.

Merrill soon realised what happened. "He made the books invisible and then tossed them at Astrid."

The said invisible books then reappeared all over Astrid and she brushed them off her. "And you accuse us of using dirty tricks."

* * *

Meanwhile Hiccup was still blocking Daan's access to Ruby much to his annoyance and anger.

"You're just making this even hard on yourself," Daan spat at Hiccup.

"I was gonna say the same thing to you," said Hiccup.

"Where are you going to land encounter every single one of your moves?" Daan glared.

"The move you know about?" Hiccup smiled. He then held out his palm. " _Heatwave!_ "

Suddenly a magic circle appeared in front of Hiccup and Daan felt a massive wave of heat heading straight at him.

"What's going on?" Daan cried.

"I guess Windshear forgot that I wasn't always a _Dragon Slayer_ ," said Hiccup with a smile. "I use an entirely different brand of magic before I learned _Dragon's Slaying Magic_."

"No matter, I can deflect this attack with ease," said Daan raising his shield. However, nothing happened. "Wh-what's going on? How come my shield isn't working?"

"You really should know how your brand of magic works," Hiccup smiled. "Your shield is able to deflect projectiles and physical attacks, but it uses against attacks with no form of themselves say heat."

"Then let's see how you defend yourself against this!" Daan yelled raising his spear.

Hiccup then performs hand signs. " _Fire Trap!_ "

Suddenly a magic circle appeared beneath Daan and then tentacles of fire erupted from it encircling around Daan's arms and legs trapping him in place.

"Uh-oh," he said realising what was coming next.

Hiccup then started to make his way over towards Daan. "Let this be a lesson to you to never underestimate your opponent, especially when this opponent has something to fight for. Unlike you I have friends supporting me giving me strength when I stumble!" Hiccup then raised his fist which then covered in flames he turned to Gustav. "Gustav!"

Gustav was standing behind Hiccup holding purple flames in his palm. "Here!" he yelled tossing the flames towards him.

The flames wrap themselves around Hiccup's fiery fist. " _Fire Dragon's Blazing Claw!_ " Hiccup yelled.

He then slammed his blazing fist right into Daan's face sending him flying across the room and he slammed right into the wall. The impact knocked him out cold and he fell to the floor.

"Now that's how it's done!" Gustav cheered.

"Got that right," Hiccup smiled.

"I certainly like him much better when he passed out," said Ruby slightly relieved.

Then suddenly the _Temple of Thor_ emblem above them began to glow and then the entire wall began to glow.

"What the—?" Ruby stared.

"The wall is shining," said Sigrid hypnotised by its radiance.

Suddenly the glow began to vanish and suddenly appearing in front of them was a large pair of rings with another ring circling around the horizontal chained up by metal chains.

"Whoa," Ruby breathed.

"That thing a gigantic," Hiccup stared.

"What is it?" Gustav asked.

"It's the clock piece!" Ruby cried.

"So that's where was hiding," said Hiccup.

"Hiccup's last attack must have caused it to be revealed," Sigrid guessed.

"You got two birds with one stone!" Gustav smiled up at Hiccup.

"Guess we were very lucky," said Hiccup.

Ruby just smiled at the clock piece. "We finally found it one. We're still in the game!"

Hiding behind the hole Hiccup had made earlier was Valyya.

"At last, I found it," she said.

* * *

Meanwhile Gruffnut was getting back onto his feet as Astrid did the same and Merrill just stood there watching as the two of them side one another.

"You know you can't beat me in combat," said Astrid.

"You don't know what I'm capable of, it's been seven years remember," Gruffnut smirked.

"I very much doubt that you can prove that much."

"Oh yeah, but I certainly learn how to be sneaky," said Gruffnut and then tossed something straight at Astrid.

Realise that he uses magic yet again, but he had no idea what he had thrown. Instinctively she raised her axe in order deflect it, but the moment it made contact smoke surrounded her and she began coughing.

"A smoke bomb," she coughed.

"Astrid, he's coming right at you!" Merrill yelled.

Astrid prepared herself for whatever trick Gruffnut was going to use on her. She then saw the smoke passing and then instantly swung her axe, but it is nothing and then something hard hit her in the face and then exploded.

It turned out that Gruffnut and jumped into the smoke and then turned several bonds invisible before tossing them. One of them actually hit Astrid in the face, but the others fell over the edge of the terrace and right where Agatha and Stormfly was standing.

The moment the bombs hit the ground they exploded much to the distress of both Agatha and Stormfly.

"What's going on?" Agatha yelled as explosions erupted all around them.

"No idea!" Stormfly panicked.

Agatha then placed a hand against one of the bookshelves which gave way and she found herself in some sort of secret chamber.

"Agatha!" Stormfly tried flying over towards her. "Are you okay?

Agatha pulled herself up and nodded.

Stormfly then saw something in the chamber. "Hey, look what that?" she pointed.

Agatha turned and saw a secret passageway. "A secret passageway," she gasped.

Instantly the two of them made their way down it.

"Guess we have those explosions to thank for that," said Agatha as she ran.

"We'll see," said Stormfly fly next to her. "This passage could lead to a trap."

They soon entered through a giant set of doors and found themselves in a chamber of sorts and then saw a large pair of legs standing there completely chained the floor.

"I think we just struck gold," Agatha stared.

"What do you know, I suppose we do have thank those explosions," Stormfly gasped.

* * *

Astrid was recovering from the explosions that Gruffnut tossed at her.

"Astrid? Are you all right?" Merrill asked fearfully.

"I'm fine," Astrid assured she then glared at Gruffnut. "You really are despicable?"

"I'm a Thorston, we're always despicable," Gruffnut smirked folding his arms. "Are you done underestimating me now?"

Then Merrill heard the sound of a bell and then picked up the car that Agatha gave her informing her that they had found the clock piece. "Looks like Agatha and Stormfly have found the clock piece."

"The treasure, huh?" said Gruffnut. "In that case…"

He then turn invisible and jumped into the air and raised his invisible mace. He instantly took advantage of Astrid's lacks of security and then slammed his mace as hard as he could into her. Astrid realised this a bit too late, but raised her axe in order to block the attack. However, the impact was still strong enough to knock her out cold.

"Astrid, no!" Merrill cried.

* * *

Agatha and Stormfly was still staring at the clock piece wondering how they were going to move it.

"So, how are we going to carry it?" Stormfly asked.

"Well…" Agatha frowned.

Then suddenly they heard footsteps and saw Gruffnut standing in front of him.

"You can't have that treasure, but you may even have this!" Gruffnut yelled tossing something invisible towards them.

They were confused briefly and then suddenly there was a huge explosion and a foul odour that smelled like rotten eggs. This left the two of them completely stunned and gave Gruffnut the chance to steal the clock piece.

In order to lift the mechanism he placed a device that made it as light as a feather. He then grabbed it and ran out of the chamber as quickly as he could with the clock piece on his back.

"Pay dirt here I can't!" he yelled excitedly.

Unfortunately, for him he didn't get very far, because blocking his path was Astrid in her _Night Fury_ armour. Upon seeing the murderers look on her face he starred and quivering with fear.

"I should have underestimated you, but rest assured I will be making that mistake again," she said as her raised his sword. "Now I'm going to attack you with full force."

Then suddenly she charged at him in a blink of an eye and struck him with his sword with so much force that he was sent flying upwards.

"You haven't heard the last of me!" Gruffnut cried as he disappeared from view.

Soon the others approached Astrid.

"Well, he's gone now," said Merrill.

"Hopefully for good," said Stormfly folding her paws.

"You all right? You seem out of it?" Agatha asked.

"I'm still suffering from his attack," said Astrid rubbing her head.

"Well, we have this," said Agatha pointing to the clock piece. "And Gruffnut made carrying it far easier for us with this _Lightweight Spell_ he placed on it."

* * *

Meanwhile Eret and his team was starting to dig at the very top of the mountain in the hopes to find the clock piece.

"Why haven't we found it yet?" Fishlegs asked.

Eret had converted his hands into a pickaxe and shovel and was digging ferociously. "We don't know how far deep the thing is and a lot of mountain to cover."

"Who put him in charge?" Helga asked as she and Ingrid started moving large rocks.

"We need his help to find a clock piece," Ingrid pointed out.

Fishlegs just shook his head and then saw that Eret had stopped digging. "Is something wrong?"

Eret converted his hands back to normal and looked at him. "I've got the feeling that we aren't alone."

"Uh-oh," said Helga.

"Where are they? Can you tell?" Ingrid asked.

Eret began looking around and then looked up into the air and there they spotted Windshear looking down at them.

"Well, it appears I've been spotted," she said.

"He's with the _Legion Platoon_!" Fishlegs panicked.

"Why are you here?" Eret demanded.

"That should be obvious, we're after the same thing aren't way?" she smiled. "I've come to claim it."


	12. Defying Calculation

Eret and his team were looking up at Windshear, who was flying above them confidently.

Eret looking up at Windshear. "Suppose I shouldn't be surprised to see you here."

"You shouldn't," said Windshear. "The name is Windshear, I'm dedicated student of Viggo Grimborn."

"She's the Exceed, Toothless and Stormfly warned us about," said Skullcrusher. "From what they told me we shouldn't underestimate, she is a capable warrior and a master strategist."

"Indeed," said Windshear. "And if you know what's good for you and your surrender now before things get too ugly."

* * *

Meanwhile Hiccup and his team were looking at the clock piece they had discovered.

"So this is the clock piece," Toothless stared.

"It's way bigger than I expected it to be," said Ruby.

Valyya was looking down at them from the hole in the ceiling Hiccup created during his battle with Daan. "I need to find a way to snatch it from them and quit."

Daan suddenly got to his feet and saw the clock piece. "Whoa."

Hiccup turned towards him. "You still want a fight?"

"No, I'll admit you beat me fair and square," said Daan folding his arms. He then sat down. "Victory is yours, I surrender."

"Then will you tell us what the _Legion Platoon_ goal is? Why are you trying to collect the clock pieces?" Sigrid asked.

"Sorry but I can't tell you anything about our secrets," said Daan folding his arms. "If I told you anything Lord Byro would dish out some fierce punishment."

"Great, you're a big help," Ruby grumbled.

Daan then immediately grabbed and pulled her close towards him. "Don't say that my gem, because now that we are here we can finally tie the knot and live happily ever after."

"No way!" Ruby yelled shoving him away.

Hiccup sighed. "That guy doesn't know the first thing about love."

"It is a lot different compared to you and Astrid," Toothless nodded.

"I know one thing, this guy has given me a major headache," said Hiccup rubbing his temple.

"What do we do now, Hiccup?" Gustav asked. "We won't get anywhere if we keep messing around with this wacko?"

"Unfortunately, we can't just pick up and leave this place either," said Sigrid grimly. "We're supposed to wait for the others define their clock pieces and meet us here."

"Looks like were stuck here then," said Hiccup as they watched Ruby running away from Daan. "At least there's no shortage of entertainment."

"Hold on, one of the members of the _Legion Platoon_ seems to have vanished," Sigrid noted.

Valyya quickly backed away from the hole.

"It's Valyya, I just hope that she hasn't hurt herself again," said Ruby stopping in her tracks.

"Then we have the same but the clock piece until the others show," said Toothless folding his paws.

"I don't know why you're so worried about, she is the enemy?" Gustav pointed out.

"That may be the case, but she's still a little girl and I think there's some good letting her," said Ruby firmly.

"I can be a good boy," said Daan appearing right in front of her.

"Don't come any closer!" Ruby yelled.

Valyya watched as Ruby ran away as quickly as she could from Daan.

"I would really like to avoid hurting her if that is possible," Valyya frowned. She then shook her head. "What am I saying? Don't forget that you are a member of the _Legion Platoon_ and accomplishing your mission always comes first."

* * *

Meanwhile Windshear had landed on one of the boulders and was looking at Eret and his team.

"If you want that clock piece you have to go through us," said Eret.

"Then it looks like things are about to go ugly," she said looking slightly disappointed.

Skullcrusher then grabbed his _Musica Sword_. "Don't worry, I can take her down. You guys focus upon digging up that clock piece as fast as you can."

"You're Skullcrusher correct?" Windshear asked as she summoned her wings and took off. "I'm honoured to meet the senior Exceed."

"We'll save it much of an honour it is when I'm through with you," said Skullcrusher something his wings and flying after her.

"Now don't be so coldhearted," said Windshear calmly. "I mean were both Exceeds we should try to be friendly."

"If you're trying to taunt me it's not working."

Fishlegs looked at Eret. "Come on, let's go dig up the clock piece while Skullcrusher keeps him busy."

"Agreed," Eret nodded he then looked up at Skullcrusher. "Good luck."

Windshear looked at Skullcrusher. "I know all about you, Skullcrusher. Despite being in Exceed you sighing with the humans of Edolas. How did our brethren take that I wonder?"

"What I did was based on my convictions and I never once regretted my decision is," said Skullcrusher strongly.

"I can tell that you've got quite the temper and unlike Toothless you are master strategist and tactician," she said looking slightly disappointed. "Perhaps you should run more than the Black Winged Exceed. Here's proof that logic trumps brute force."

"Toothless is not one to think battle is some sort of gameboard and I'm the same," said SKullcrusher.

"I see, then we really don't have much in common," said Windshear folding her paws.

"Then how about we go straight to the flight," said Skullcrusher as he took on his battle form.

"As you wish," said Windshear taking her battle form.

"Let's do this!" Skullcrusher roared charging towards her.

"As your friend Toothless found out I'm not just a bookworm with wings," she said as he flew towards him. "Allow me to demonstrate!"

Skullcrusher sword and Windshear's claws then clashed.

* * *

At the same time Eret was digging the ferociously and as quickly as he could and converted his hand at the shuttle. Suddenly the ground gave way and he and the others fell in into some sort of chamber.

"Where in the heck are we?" Helga asked.

"I don't know but this place is littered with statues," said Ingrid.

Ingrid was right they were in some sort of chamber and there were many statues surrounding them what looked like ancient warriors.

* * *

Meanwhile Skullcrusher had raised his _Musica Sword_ and the blade grew twice its size. He then began swaying the blade at Windshear, who dodged each and every swing gracefully.

"Don't run away! Come and face me like a true warrior!" Skullcrusher roared.

"Charging into a sword head-on is a practised best lead left to imbeciles and cannon fodder," Windshear taunted. She then saw upwards to avoid one of his swings which slammed into the rocky surface of the mountain. "An intelligent fighter considered strategy, methodology and outcomes before they attack."

Her claws then extended and she fired a powerful magic blast at Skullcrusher, who managed to fly away just in time to avoid. However, the blast caused debris to be shot up into the air and to use this to her advantage and performed a sneak attack, kicking him hard in the face.

"You have no chance of winning," said Windshear strongly. "The _Legion Platoon_ endures training far more intense than you can imagine. Therefore we can cope with any situation, my victory is assured!"

Skullcrusher landed back onto the mounting surface and Windshear fired another blast her claws striking the ground beneath his feet. This caused him to give way and he tumbled down the mountain.

"Damn it!" Skullcrusher cursed and slammed into a ledge.

"Precisely how I calculated," Windshear smiled smugly. "I even impressed myself." She then flew down towards the ledge and began looking for Skullcrusher. "Now according to my calculations he should have landed a roundabout here."

Suddenly Skullcrusher emerge from the rubble directly behind her and raised his _Musica Sword_. "Behind you!"

Windshear barely had time to dodge the swing and then merely smiled at him. "You're remarkably stubborn, aren't you?"

Skullcrusher then flew up towards her. "I'm not going up over the same trick twice in a row! And I know that Eret is going to find a clock piece any moment now! Your victory is far from assured!"

"Such confidence, are you not aware that the ruins are filled with traps?"

Skullcrusher then stopped in mid-air. "You can't be serious?"

* * *

Eret and the others were looking around the chamber, but so far there was no signs of the clock piece.

"Nothing here!" said Helga standing on top of one of the statues.

"I don't see anything that looks like a clock piece," said Ingrid examining the statute base.

Fishlegs frowned slightly wondering where it could be.

"There something scribbled on this one," said Eret gesturing to one of the statues.

Fishlegs made his way over towards it and saw some sort of writing on the statue. "Let me see," he said. "It says, 'I'm hungry.' That's a little weird?"

Eret merely frowned.

"Hey, from way up here it kind of looks like a clock face," said Helga looking down at the floor from the statue.

From her position the statues were aligned in a circle much like numbers on a clock and there was some sort of podium with three different hands each one different size much like the hands of a clock.

Ingrid frowned. "Wait, does that mean… it should point to dinner or something?"

"It's worth a try," said Fishlegs eagerly.

"So we have to do is move it, huh?" said Eret making his way towards one of the hands.

He then formed his _Iron Club_ and slammed into the hand making it move an inch.

* * *

Meanwhile Skullcrusher and Windshear was still battling up in the air and neither one was giving the other an inch.

Skullcrusher swung his _Musica Sword_ at her, which she dodged and then she appeared behind him and placed him in a hold wrapping her hands around his neck and her legs around his waist.

"I told you there's more to me than just intelligence," Windshear mocked as he began to squeeze. "My combat skills are also unparalleled. Statistically you have no chance of winning."

Skullcrusher could only hope that Eret and the others were being very careful when trying to recover the clock piece.

* * *

Eret was still moving their hands around with his _Iron Club_ and was making some progress. He managed to move one of the hands towards the statue with the inscription and then suddenly the entire chamber began to shake. The podium began to sink into the ground and was only replaced with another podium and in the centre of it was the face of a clock.

"Looks like we found it!" Fishlegs cheered.

"It's an actual clockface," said Ingrid.

"It certainly hard to smell just like Hiccup said," said Eret folding his arms.

Fishlegs then noted on the podium was ancient writing. "There some writing," he said leaning towards it. "I bet I can read it."

"We don't have time to study it," said Helga.

"Yeah, let's grab it and go," Ingrid agreed.

The two of them grabbed the clockface and began to pull it from the podium.

"Wait, don't take it off!" Fishlegs panicked.

"Yeah, it may be booby-trapped!" Eret yelled.

Too late, Helga and Ingrid had already priced the clockface off and immediately the podium they were standing on began to rise up.

"I tried to tell you!" Fishlegs yelled looking at Helga and Ingrid in annoyance. "' _It says warning whoever touches this shall feel the wrath of Odin!_ '"

They were suddenly tossed off the podium and landed on the ground. They looked up and saw a giant statue of Odin looking down at them with a very long spear in his hand. The statue then slammed it spear down on top of them and they barely had time to jump out of the way.

They instantly began running away from the Guardian which was giving chase.

"You two need to think before you act," said Eret looking at Helga and Ingrid angrily. "Don't you think that the people who built this place would make sure that no one could take their treasure?"

"Okay next time we'll listen!" Helga yelled frantically.

"Yeah, we'll do whatever you say!" Sigrid nodded.

"How will we save the argument for later guys?" Fishlegs advised.

* * *

Up in the air, Skullcrusher and Windshear saw the Guardian had awakened and was chasing after Eret and the others.

"It appears you comrades have managed to spring the trap," Windshear smiled. "Precisely how I calculated."

Skullcrusher realised what she had done. "I see, so that's the reason why you drew me away from the others. You planned this."

Windshear tightened her grip around. "You're powerful and fly that made you a prime target. Taking all threats out of the picture is essential for victory."

* * *

Down in the chamber the Guardian then struck his spear down on top of them again and they barely managed to avoid it this time. That's when they noticed the podium from earlier was on top of its head and emitting some sort of bright red light.

"I think whatever it is omitting that red light is the control mechanism," said Fishlegs.

"Yeah, and I bet that its weak spot," said Helga.

"All right, let's teach this thing what Shadow Gear is all about," said Ingrid tossing the clock piece to Eret.

"I'll immobilise it first," said Fishlegs. He then waved his hands in front of him. " _Solid Script Magic. Oil!_ "

He then spelt out the word 'oil' in the air and suddenly oil began to cover the feet around the statue. This caused him to slip and slide all over the place leaving it quite vulnerable.

"Now it's my turn to bring the pain," said Ingrid. She then tossed several seeds at it. " _Chain Plant!_ Grow!"

The moment the seeds touched the ground they sprouted and vines began to wrap around the statue arms and legs leaving it completely immobile.

"Time for me to finish it off," said Helga charging towards it. " _High Speed!_ "

Helga then zoomed in a flash and began running up the vines towards the red podium on the statue's head.

"See that, does Shadow Gear rule or what?" Fishlegs smiled at Eret.

"Not too shabby," said Eret looking impressed. "But it ain't over yet."

His words spoke true as the statue began to move slightly and broke the vines that were wrapped around it. Naturally this meant that Helga no longer had anything to stand on and was falling back down to the ground.

"Catch her!" Fishlegs cried.

"Right!" Ingrid nodded and waved her hand.

Suddenly several giant leaves appeared out of nowhere in an attempt to catch Helga. Unfortunately, Helga was falling so fast that he smashed right through every single one of the leaves and landed on the oil.

"You okay?" Fishlegs asked.

"Other than being covered in oil I'm just fine," said Helga.

"Incoming!" Eret yelled.

They looked up and saw the statue was still attempting to free itself from the remaining vines wrapped around it.

"Here goes round two!" Helga yelled.

She then ran up the vines once again, but the soles of her shoes were completely covered in oil so she slipped off the vine and landed back into the oil.

"Oh no, Helga!" Fishlegs cried.

"Sorry you guys, my _High Speed_ is useless when I'm all slicked up like this," she said apologetically.

"Looks like it's up to me," said Ingrid.

She then ran up the vine as quickly as he could. However, the statue moved an inch and she lost her balance and landed on top of Helga.

"Sorry guys," she said apologetically.

The statue was now moving even more often in the vines around it was starting to break.

"They're both down get it up to me," said Fishlegs.

"Let me handle this," said Eret.

"Yeah, maybe you are better suited for this."

Eret then made his way up the vines as quickly as he could.

* * *

Up in the air, Windshear still held Skullcrusher in a powerful hold, but then Skullcrusher flew backwards towards a piece of rubble and slammed Windshear's back into it. This caused her to release him and he took off into the air.

"I saw that one coming!" Windshear yelled.

"I have to admit seen a battle form like yours is a rarity in Midgard," said Skullcrusher pointing his _Musica Sword_ at her. "The only other Exceed I've seen able to accomplish this feat is Toothless and he's not your average Exceed."

"Yet it's the truth," said Windshear. "I was born in this world the same as your friends Toothless and Stormfly."

"Then explain to me why you chose to side with the _Legion Platoon_? Why do you refuse to show any compassion to those who share your circumstances?"

"The Temple of Thor took me in after I was hatched and gave me a place to call my own. Lord Byro has been nothing short than a father to me, I owe everything to the Temple of Thor and the _Legion Platoon_. Repaying that debt is far more important to me than Exceeds or Edolas!"

Windshear then summoned her cause and swiped at Skullcrusher, who dodged quickly. Skullcrusher then swung his sword at her, but she quickly dodged and kicked him in the back.

* * *

Meanwhile Eret was still running up the vine towards the podium admitting the control signal.

"Almost there," he said.

However, the statue moved its arm in attempt to grab him and he jumped back before it had a chance.

"So what now?" Fishlegs asked.

The statue then swung his spear at them, but they were able to dodge before it made impact.

"We need to find a way to get on top of that thing or else will be at this forever," said Eret.

Skullcrusher and Windshear had entered into the chamber now, but Skullcrusher looked at Eret with concern.

"Eret," he said worriedly.

"It's just that my calculations predicted. I will defeat you while the entered Guardian take cares of your comrades," Windshear smiled. "And then when the dust settle I will take the clock piece at my leisure."

The Guardian and swung it spear at Eret they managed to dodge the attack and the impact it caused them to be knocked off their feet.

"Run, Eret!" Fishlegs yelled. "That thing is finding the clock piece back from us!"

"Of course," said Eret looking at the clock piece. "This should make things a lot easier." He then tossed the clock piece towards Fishlegs. "You hold onto it!"

The clock piece landed in front of Fishlegs much to his distress. "No! I don't want to!"

The Guardian then turn towards Fishlegs and he began to panic. However, Eret took this to advantage and ran up the vines once again towards the podium.

"Go get him," Skullcrusher smiled.

"He can't!" said Windshear horrified.

Eret then jumped into the air places hands together. " _Dragon Slayer's Secret Art!_ " The Guardian then turned towards him, but it was far too late as Eret and created a massive iron sword with his two hands. " _Pride Demon: Iron Greatsword!_ "

Eret then slammed the sword right on top of the Guardian slicing it in half and seconds later it crumbled into dust.

Eret landed on the ground next to Fishlegs and the others and then looked up at Skullcrusher. "Our business is done so finish yours up so we can get out of here."

Skullcrusher merely smiled.

Windshear however was completely distraught. "This is inconceivable! How can this be?" she yelled frantically. "I've never come across anyone who can elude my calculations. Perhaps they were incorrect, but if that's the case all of my strategizing was completely meaningless! I can't take this! It makes no sense!"

"A fight is a dynamic thing," said Eret as he strapped his _Musica Sword_ to his back. "Strategy helps, but you must be able to adapt if things go wrong." Windshear then glared at him. "Toothless was right when he said that your biggest weakness was able to adapt to the situation. It would seem as if you still have a lot to learn."

"I'm far smarter than that black cat!" Windshear yelled extending her claws.

She then slashed that Skullcrusher, but he easily dodged and grabbed her arm. "You left yourself wide open."

Then next thing she realised Skullcrusher tossed over his shoulder and slammed her my down into the floor. She then reverted back to her normal form and was not cold. Skullcrusher flew back to the ground returning to his normal form as well.

He then made his way over to Windshear and with a few pinches to the neck she woke up.

"Are not without talent," Skullcrusher admitted. "If you challenge me again in the future I'll be happy to oblige."

He then walked off.

"I know when it's time to admit defeat," said Windshear getting to her feet. "And thanks to our fight I now realise that there are people in this world who defy calculation."

"So you realise your own inexperience?" Skullcrusher asked looking over his shoulder.

"On the contrary! It's quite obvious that I failed to anticipate all the variables!" she yelled defiantly. "Next time I'll be insured to incorporate every possible detail into my calculations and then I'll show you barbarians the power of the only muscle that truly matters. But right now I need to record every single bit of data from this fight when it's still fresh in my memory!"

Then suddenly out of nowhere Skullcrusher dealt a powerful kick that sent her flying. "Who are you calling a barbarian, huh!" he roared.

They watched as Windshear soared out of the hole in the ceiling and disappeared from view.

"Looks like Exceeds come in all types too don't they?" said Fishlegs.

Eret looked at Skullcrusher. "You know that attacking her like that only strengthens her case, right?"

"Shut up," Skullcrusher grumbled.

* * *

Meanwhile the Jorgenson had managed to find the ancient ruin from Ruby's coordinates. There wasn't much left except for two large craters with several stone arches hopping from one side from the other and completely filled with water.

Spitelout had taken our Beast Form which resembled a water monster. His legs were hunchback and he had webbed feet and hands. He had several spikes that crosses entire back and he had made a sharp talons. His face resembled that of a serpent, with gills, as did his tail.

He eventually managed to reach the bottom of the lake and found a huge plug. He swam towards it and began to pour on the chain and from the surface Snotlout and Adelaide watched as the water began to drain from the lake and entered into the lake below them.

"Check it out, the lake is shrinking," Snotlout pointed.

"Guess, Dad, muster found something down there," said Adelaide, who was wearing a bikini.

They soon made their way to Spitelout, who had returned to his normal form and that when they saw a large stone slab with an orange bell embedded in it.

"Good work, Dad! You found it!" Adelaide cheered.

"Was there any doubt," Spitelout smiled.

"Let's grab that clock piece and get out of here so we can meet up with the others," said Snotlout making his way over towards the stone slab. He then began to pull at the clock piece with all his strength. "It's heavily!"

He then gave it one more good pull and freeze it from the stone slab and then to their utter bewilderment he tossed it away from them.

"What did you do that for?" Adelaide stared.

"Not him," Snotlout groaned.

The clock piece had landed next to the feet of Viggo who had his arms folded and wearing a smug look on his face.

"Thanks for the assist," he said smugly. "After all if it weren't for you free I would never have found the clock piece."

Adelaide looked at her father and brother. "Isn't he…"

"Yes, he is that annoying guy from the _Legion Platoon_ ," Snotlout growled.

"How did you find us?" Spitelout demanded.

"I simply followed you here," said Viggo with a small smile. "I figured it would be easier if you find it and then take it from you."

Snotlout charged at him and his arm turned to a massive monstrous claw. "Three against one nice strategy!" he yelled.

Viggo merely raised his ring and then Snotlout turned and attacked Spitelout and Adelaide.

"I forgot," Snotlout groaned.

"You can try and fight it, but it won't help you," said Viggo plainly. "There is nothing you can do as long as I hold this ring you and your family are my puppets."

The Jorgenson glared at with hatred.

* * *

Meanwhile Ruby was still trying to get away from Daan and the others merely watched.

"Boy, those two have a lot of energy," said Hiccup.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm getting hungry," said Gustav.

"What part of no don't you get?" Ruby yelled.

"No doesn't exist in the dictionary of love, my gem!" Daan cried.

"No wonder the guy had been able to get a girlfriend, he is more clingy than Snotlout," said Hiccup shaking his head.

"At least he knows when to give up," said Toothless.

"How disappointing!" said a booming voice. "I expected that you would have the clock piece."

Daan immediately stopped in his tracks and began to shake with fear though that might have been the temple they were in the place was shaking like crazy.

"That voice… it's Lord Byro!" Daan yelled.

"Great, just perfect," Hiccup groaned.

Then smashing through the walls was Kanaloa and riding on top of him was Byro.

"I cannot understand why the two of you have been having such difficulty," Byro glared.

Valyya then ran up to Daan with an apologetic look on her face. "Our deepest apologies, Lord Byro."

"I'm terribly ashamed, I allow myself to become distracted from my objective," said Daan. "Forgive me, sir. However I am pleased to report that this holy ground is the place where I met the love of—."

He was then knocked out by a piece of rubble.

"You deserve that," said Valyya.

"Fall back and reflect upon your incompetence while I clean the mess you made," Byro ordered.

That's when Hiccup and the others notice that he was holding the clock hand in his left hand.

Ruby's eyes widened. "Isn't that—?"

"Mr Magnus, piece of the clock," said Sigrid.

Hiccup looked up at Byro. "I suggest you hand that clock piece back to Ruby or else."

"I warn you, won't live to regret it," Byro glared.


	13. The Course of the Holy War

At the Guildhall, Brila served Gobber with some mead and noticed the concerned look on his face.

"What's the matter, Gobber?" she asked.

"I'm fine. I'm just thinking," said Gobber.

"You're worried about Gustav," Valka assumed.

"Yes, I am. I'm concerned that he still young to go on such an important mission," Gobber sighed.

"Hiccup was on his own for quite some time when he was about Gustav age from what I've been told," Valka reminded.

"Yeah, but Hiccup was able to think on his feet despite his lack of magic power."

"There is a good thing that Hiccup is with him," said Stoick as he approached the bar. "He can learn a lot from Hiccup out on the field and Hiccup need to learn the responsibilities of looking after the young."

* * *

Meanwhile in the ruins, Hiccup and his team were facing against Byro.

"Be careful, Gustav," said Hiccup looking at Gustav. "Remember he held his own against Gildarts."

"Do you think you'll be undertaken down?" Gustav asked.

"To be honest I don't know," said Hiccup honestly.

"I'll destroy you," said Byro.

Then suddenly Kanaloa fired oil from his mouth directly at them fortunately Hiccup and Gustav managed to jump out of the way. It was a good thing they did, because when they looked back they saw that oil had melted the ground away where they had once stood.

"That some dangerous ink," said Hiccup.

"The careful, Hiccup!" Toothless yelled.

Hiccup looked at Ruby and the others. "Get back, I've got an idea."

Kanaloa then fired another squirt of ink at them and they jumped at the way in time.

Hiccup's fist went ablaze. " _Fire Dragon's Blazing Claw!_ " Hiccup yelled hitting the octopus as hard as he could.

However, Kanaloa merely just exhorts the punch and Hiccup with this one aside by one of his tentacles. Hiccup was slammed into one of the columns hard and he looked up just in time to see another tentacle heading towards him. He barely had time to move out of the way when it smashed through the column with unbelievable strength.

Hiccup then unleashed his breath attack and Kanaloa counted it with his ink. The two attacks appear to cancel each other out.

Valyya just watched the battle next to the unconscious Daan. "What now?" she asked herself. "I don't… I don't know what I should do."

"Valyya!" Ruby yelled.

Valyya looked up in time to see one of Kanaloa's tentacles heading towards. She would have been smashed to the ground it will be entitled her to the ground.

"Are you all right?" Ruby asked.

"I think that will be seven points," Valyya groaned. She then realised there were one person short. "Is Daan okay?"

"Yeah, see," Ruby pointed.

Valyya turned and saw that Hiccup had managed to grab Daan and pulled him to safety in time.

Hiccup then glared up at Byro. "Hey, what are you attacking you nearly killed them!"

"Seriously, Valyya and Daan are supposed to be your allies!" Ruby yelled.

"I realise that, but as proud members of the _Legion Platoon_ , they are prepared to sacrifice their very lives to win this Holy War," said Byro plainly.

"Holy War my butt!" Ruby spat. "You don't have any right to speak for her, she is not your slave! She doesn't belong to you, or the Temple of Thor or anyone else! She can make her own decisions!"

Valyya just stared at her.

"You're in no position to criticise my actions," said Byro. "You failed to grasp the severity of the situation. There are many more lives than you realise."

Unbeknownst to them inscriptions appeared on the clock piece behind Toothless and the others.

* * *

Inscriptions also appeared on the clock piece next to Viggo.

"Intriguing, it appears to be resonating," said Viggo. "I best take this thing before things get out of hand."

"No! I won't let you!" Snotlout yelled.

"You tell him, Son," said Spitelout as he stood next to him.

"I think not, but I wouldn't mind to see father and son fighting," said Viggo raising his ring. "Once you've finish beating each other up, I can take the clock piece and go."

"Tell me why are you doing this?" Adelaide asked.

"Why?" said Viggo looking at her. "To be honest I have no idea, my dear. All I know is that everything as long as we do what the Archon says."

"If you're only doing what you're told…" Spitelout glared.

"Then you're nothing more than a puppet," Adelaide finished.

Viggo glared at them. "You don't say. In that case I'll make you a puppet too."

He then rated ring with began to glow bright yellow and then suddenly Adelaide said as she began to glow. Then a few seconds later and dark energy surrounding her and she began screaming.

"What is he going to you?" Snotlout yelled rushing to her.

"Adelaide!" Spitelout yelled in horror.

" _Controlling Art!_ _Second Movement!_ " Viggo roared. He then looked at them. "I'm not supposed to be using this technique, but I'll make an exception for you."

Then suddenly to their horror they watched as Adelaide Wrath Demon form began to separate from her body.

"It's not possible!" Spitelout stared.

"It's her _Demon Soul_!" Snotlout gasped.

The moment the demon was fully extracted from Adelaide she collapsed to the ground and was knocked unconscious.

"Adelaide! No!" Spitelout cried.

"What do we do?" Snotlout asked.

"Let's see how willing are you to fight one another," said Viggo with a large smile on his face.

Then to their horror saw the demon turning towards them.

"This is bad," said Snotlout.

The demon then charged towards them.

" _Beast Soul!_ " Spitelout roared taking the form of a beast.

He then swung his fist at the demon, but she merely rolled to avoid the punch. He then slammed his fist down on top of her, but she jumped out of the way and then fired a powerful blast of dark energy.

"This is very enjoyable to watch," said Viggo as he watched Spitelout being sent flying and slammed right into one of the arches.

Time to recover when the demon flew towards slammed a powerful fist at him creating a massive explosion.

"How are we supposed to get out of this?" Snotlout stared in horror.

"Anyone who dares to defy the Archon shall pay the price," said Viggo with a maniacal look in his eye.

* * *

Meanwhile making their way down the mountain was Eret and his team.

"That fight between you and Windshear was something else, Skullcrusher," said Ingrid.

"Yeah, I've never seen two Exceeds going at it like that before," said Helga placing her hands behind her head. "I mean I've seen Toothless and Cloudjumper spare, but this was for real."

"There are so few of you guys around to shame you can't all be friends," said Fishlegs.

"She is rather impertinent I'm afraid," said Skullcrusher.

"While on the subject," said Ingrid.

"Yeah, what's the big deal? Why has Windshear been following you all the time?" Helga asked.

Windshear had indeed been following them all this time.

"Because she is very stubborn," he said plainly.

"I'm not following you," said Windshear bluntly. "I am merely observing you."

"Just so we're clear, you're not getting your hands on this clock piece," said Fishlegs plainly gesturing to the clock face Eret was holding.

"The truth is according to my calculations it makes no difference whether or not I'm the one that retrieves it," said Windshear.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Skullcrusher asked.

"I can't say with utter certainty but…" She then stopped and looked at him. "Skullcrusher, may I have a moment?"

Skullcrusher had a feeling that he wasn't going to like what Windshear had to say.

* * *

Meanwhile Astrid and her team were making good time with the clock legs.

"Gruffnut really made things easy for us placing that that _Lightweight Spell_ on the clock piece," said Astrid, who was carrying the clock legs.

"I can only imagine how much they weigh without the spell," said Merrill.

"Let's just be thankful that we have them at all," said Stormfly.

"Would you think happened to Gruffnut?" Agatha asked.

"He hasn't been following us, I can tell you that much," said Merrill sniffing the air.

"He probably gave up after Astrid took him down so easily," Stormfly shrugged.

"I'm surprised we didn't need anyone from the _Legion Platoon_ ," Astrid frowned.

"They probably teamed up with one another in order to get their hands on the clock pieces," Agatha assumed. "Of course that means the others might be having some trouble."

"We'll find out soon enough once we meet them at the rendezvous point," said Astrid.

* * *

Adelaide managed to regain consciousness and saw her _Demon Soul_ had taken down her father and was now holding Snotlout by the throat.

"Dad? Snotlout?" she said horrified.

"You better put me down or else I'll take you down," Snotlout glared.

The _Demon Soul_ then tossed into the ground.

"Snotlout!" Adelaide cried.

Viggo then laughed. "I'm really enjoying myself, but I have work to do. I'll put you out of your misery and then I'll make my leave."

"Tell me," said Adelaide looking at him. "Do you enjoy it? Hurting others like this?"

"To be honest I do. It proves that I'm not a helpless fool I used to be," said Viggo honestly. He then commanded the _Demon Soul_ to create another blast of dark energy. "With this power I can now wipe out anyone who opposes the Archon. It is a shame that you are defying the Temple of Thor, because that in itself is a major sin. And all sinners must die!"

He raised his ring again and the _Demon Soul_ was preparing to deal the final blow.

However, Adelaide got back onto her feet. "Just try it."

"What are you going to do?" Viggo asked. "You're helpless now because my ring has control over your powers. This is the end of the line! Farewell _Dragon Tail_!"

The _Demon Soul_ unleashed a blast of dark energy heading straight towards them. A few seconds later there was a massive column of dark energy that tore through the arches above them.

"Who knew she was so strong," said Viggo looking impressed that the _Demon Soul_. "It would seem as if I've overdone it."

He then noticed something which made his eyes widened.

Spitelout looked up in horror. "Uh-oh, we've got trouble on the now," he said.

Snotlout turned and stared, because Adelaide had taken the form of another demon.

She had grown horns made of long sky blue scales, extending backwards to a pointed edge, the horn's scales also extend to form a pattern on her face. Her ears, hidden behind her horns, become pointed upwards reminiscent of that of the elves. She gained similar scale-like covering on her forearms and hands as well as on her legs and she grows a large, sky blue, stocky and seemingly aquatic tail. Her clothes also changed into a light and dark blue, striped, one-piece suit with pointed shoulder-pads, revealing her arms and legs, which had open on the front and the back; exposing most of her stomach, wide cleavage, and upper back. She also had a pair of two sky-blue wings composed of numerous spiky scales that are always pointing upwards.

She had her arm stretched and appeared to have been able to block the attack with her bare hand.

"Calm down, Adelaide!" Spitelout ordered. "Don't let it take over! Stay in control!"

"It can't be, this is impossible," Viggo stared. "I thought she only had the one _Demon Soul_! How come this was never mentioned before?"

"I don't understand, since when did she had a second _Demon Soul_?" Snotlout asked.

"This is bad," said Spitelout grimly. "We have to get out of here as quickly as we can. That form is different from her _Wrath Soul_ , the reason you've never seen it before because Stoick forbade her from ever using it. It's known as the _Despair Soul_."

* * *

Meanwhile Hiccup and the others were still doing battle against Byro and Kanaloa, who had just manages to successfully pin Hiccup to the floor with his tentacles.

"I'm trapped!" Hiccup yelled as he tried to break free. He then noticed that Kanaloa was preparing to fire more oil. "Uh-oh."

Then suddenly burst of water showed out of nowhere and dispel the oil. Hiccup turned and saw that Ruby had used a puddle of water to summon Aquarius. She was at that moment unleashing water from her urn.

"You're lucky that I got here when I did or else your fire breathing pal would be gone," said Aquarius.

"I knew I could count on you," said Ruby.

Aquarius then noticed that Ruby had used a puddle of water. "What the heck do you think you're doing?" she yelled. "You summoned me from a puddle!"

"Sorry, but that was all I could find," said Ruby apologetically.

"Thanks Ruby and you too Aquarius," said Hiccup gratefully.

Hiccup then saw purple flames wrapping around his arm and then he was pulled free by Gustav.

"Nice work!" Toothless cheered.

Aquarius leaned over towards Ruby. "I'm leading you off the hook for the puddle thing if you do me a little favour. Would you please hurry up and figure out how to summon two Celestial Spirits at once. I may be nicer to you if I had my man Scorpio around."

Sigrid just stared at them. "I thought she was called here to help Ruby, not threaten to hurt her."

Hiccup soon landed on one of the ruined buildings and looked down at Gustav. "Gustav, you think you can get his mouth open?" he asked.

"Hey, just leave it to me," said Gustav. He then tossed a fireball lie down into Kanaloa's mouth. " _Purple Net!_ "

The fireball then expanded inside of Kanaloa's mouth forming a net inside of it.

"Nice work," said Hiccup jumping off the building. He then took a deep breath. " _Fire Dragon's Roar!_ "

"It looks like he's gonna blast fire right down the octopuses mouth," said Toothless.

"But isn't that kind of cruel?" Ruby asked.

"Oh, I bet it's going to taste delicious freshly grilled," Sigrid smiled happily.

"Well, she doesn't seem to think so," said Aquarius looking slightly disturbed.

Unfortunately, before Hiccup got the chance, Kanaloa wrapped his tentacles around him.

"How terribly naïve," said Byro looking disappointed. "Kanaloa is a veteran warrior just like me. Such childish tactics aren't going to work."

"He's got, Hiccup!" Toothless yelled.

"We've got to save him," said Gustav.

Kanaloa began squeezing Hiccup making him wince.

"Oh no, he's crushing him!" Ruby cried.

"It would seem as if victory is ours," said Byro looking at Hiccup. "Let's go, Kanaloa. We have what we need."

"Hold it right there!" Ruby yelled. Byro then turned his gaze up towards her. "My father left that clock hand to me which makes it mine. It's the only thing I have to remember him by, you don't have any right to take it!"

"What's so important about these clock pieces that you're going to such lengths to steal them?" Sigrid asked.

"We're not stealing them. We're taking them into our care," he said.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"We're gathering these pieces because they belong to the Infinity Clock. The Archon of the _Temple of Thor_ has demanded that we retrieve them. We're simply following his orders."

"The Infinity Clock?" Ruby frowned.

"What could the Archon possibly want with such a thing?" Sigrid frowned.

Byro did not answer this question as he remembered the words the Archon had mentioned countless times.

* * *

"'Time ticks forward, on towards inevitable chaos,'" said the Archon, he then looked at Byro who was kneeling down at the foot of his bed. "I don't suppose you have any idea what that means, Byro?"

"That is the phrase you hear in your dreams, is it not?" said Byro. "Forgive me my Lord, but I haven't the slightest."

"Once every 100 years, the Infinity Clock releases the magic power it has accumulated and becomes active. It is said that in all six of the scattered clock pieces are gathered together when it is activated…"

"What will happen?" Byro asked.

"Then the Clock will be begin to tick and it will usher in the end of the world."

Byro eyes widened. "That cannot be."

"According to the High Priests, a Viking Guild is looking to gather the pieces of the Infinity Clock. We are the only ones that can stop them, in other words we now have a purpose given to us by a higher power." The Archon then looked up at Byro. "Byro, prepare yourself for a Holy War."

* * *

Byro had just finished telling this story to Hiccup and the others and they were completely perplexed by this revelation.

Ruby just stared at him openmouthed. "If all the clock pieces are gathered together then…"

"Then the world will come to an end," Sigrid finished.

"So that the inevitable chaos," said Ruby.

"Yeah, sounds like it," said Gustav.

"It seems as if the situation is far more serious than we initially believed," said Toothless.

"I cannot give this back to you," said Byro gesturing to the clock hand in his hand. "A mere Viking Guild doesn't have the power to protect the world from destruction."

"He's got a point," said Sigrid. "If we make one mistake it could spell disaster."

"Then maybe we should take it after all," said Gustav.

"I don't think so," said Toothless.

"These are your story just don't add up," said Hiccup looking at Byro.

Byro turned towards him. "What?"

"If gathering the pieces up is what causes this chaos then I have to wonder what you and your pals are up to," said Hiccup.

"Hiccup's right, the answer is not to gather them," said Toothless. "Besides, do we really want the Temple of Thor holding the fate of the world in their hands?"

"Yeah, you don't know what to do with them anymore than we do," Ruby nodded. "Who says that you guys won't make a dangerous mistake?"

"There we're all doomed," Sigrid panicked.

Byro narrowed his eyes upon all of them. "I can assure you our teaching are do not mistake. How dare you even question the Archon! He is infallible!"

"That's not true," said Sigrid. "Nobody is perfect, we all make mistakes. That's why we can't find world peace. I thought everyone knew that."

"She's right," said Hiccup. "Everyone believes that they're in the right so much so that they don't notice the destruction they cause in their wake. For instance we didn't get involved until you attacked, which means you're causing the very disaster that you're trying to avoid."

Byro gritted his teeth. "Such blasphemy! Kanaloa!"

Kanaloa then tightened his grip around Hiccup almost breaking him in two.

"Hiccup!" Gustav cried.

"I don't know how much longer he can last," said Toothless fearfully.

* * *

Meanwhile at the Guildhall, Brila suddenly collapsed dropping the tray of drinks onto the floor.

"What's the matter, Brila?" Gobber asked.

"Are you feeling all right?" Sven asked.

"It's close," she said shaking uncontrollably. "So very close." Suddenly they saw poison emerging out of the hands melting the stone floor. "I sense it, it is almost within our grasp. I can hear it now! I hear—!"

Brila then collapsed and many of the Guild members looked at her fearfully.

"There's no need to panic," said Gobber as he bent down towards her. "It's just another of her fits." He then looked at Mulch. "Mulch, do you know where Stoick is?"

"I think he's in East Forest spending time with Valka," said Mulch.

"Then I hope he gets back soon, we could really use this help right now," said Gobber looking at Brila who was breathing quite heavily.

* * *

Meanwhile Viggo was still stunned by the sudden change of events as he stared Adelaide's new _Demon Soul_. Spitelout and Snotlout run into a safe distance as quickly as possible.

"Let's hush, boy-o!" Spitelout yelled.

"I'm running as fast as I can, Dad!" Snotlout yelled.

Suddenly there was a huge explosion behind them knocking them off their feet.

Viggo was experiencing the shockwaves first-hand as he was caught completely by surprise by this turnaround. "Things are not going the way I expected. I never imagined that she would have powers comparable to a demon. I can't fight her like this."

Adelaide was floating up in the air looking down upon Viggo who was still manipulating her _Wrath Demon Soul_.

"To be honest with you," she said looking at Viggo with disdain. "I like the _Temple of Thor_ teachings. Acknowledging and bearing the malevolence within you, devoting every ounce of your love to others. However…" She then raised her hand and so there was a massive explosion and Viggo would have been blown away the used the Wrath Demon to create a shield. "I've lost all respect them now I know that they embrace people like you. Such a shame."

"That's it," said Viggo glaring up at her. Suddenly a powerful burst of magic power emanating from his body. "I've had enough of you! I swore to the Archon that I would never use this power, but you've left me no choice! I can only hope that he forgives me for what I must do!"

Suddenly the Wrath Demon vanished and entered into his body and seconds there was a massive pulse of energy that hid him from view.

"What is happening?" Spitelout yelled.

"Look inside the blast!" Snotlout pointed.

"Merging with someone you control. _Art of Control: Third Movement_!" Viggo voice roared. Suddenly they saw that Viggo had become one with the Wrath Demon. He was basically a male version of the Wrath Demon. "Using this forbidden technique I will defeat you… with your own power!"

He then took up into the air and charge straight at Adelaide and swung a bit directly at her. However, she merely blocked by raising her palm. Viggo then started deliver powerful kicks and punches towards, but she kept on blocking them in a blink of an eye.

"Is this what…" said Adelaide as he punched him in the face. "You call a sin?" She then kicked him hard in the chest.

Spitelout and Snotlout watched as the two of them clashed. They were moving so fast that they could even see them only flashes of light.

"Their moving so fast I can barely see them," Snotlout stared.

"I feel sorry for Viggo, he has no idea what he's gotten himself into," said Spitelout.

Viggo then fired a burst of dark energy from his palms directly at Adelaide. However, she quickly created a force field and the blast was repelled and scattered across the area destroying what was left of the ruins.

"No way," Viggo stared. "That sack didn't even scratch."

Adelaide then reappeared behind him. "As far as I'm concerned you've committed a greater sin." She then punched him across the face and then a devastating kick sending them crashing back towards the ground. "You had your fun. Now your paper taking my power and using it against me!"

Adelaide then outstretched palm and began shamming a massive burst of magic power. A dark magic circle appeared in front of her and suddenly a powerful blast headed straight towards Viggo. He soon disappeared from sight and all Spitelout and Snotlout could hear were his screams.

"But most of all, your pay for having my family."

When the smoke cleared Viggo return to his normal form and found himself in the middle of a crater completely unable to move.

"You used my magic to threaten my loved ones," said Adelaide as she landed. She then glared down at him. "That unforgivable."

Viggo was actually scared for the first time in his life. "Stay away."

"Viggo is really in it for now," said Spitleout.

"What's Adelaide going to do with her?" Snotlout asked as he began to shake uncontrollably.

Viggo was said Adelaide got closer and closer towards him. "No! Please don't!" he begged.

"You've been very bad," said Adelaide looking at him as if she was a teacher scolding a student.

Viggo then fainted.

"Yep, the last time she used that power she destroyed an entire town while trying to attempt to capture and discipline the guy," Spitelout sighed.

"Ah, so that's why Stoick prevent her from using it," Snotlout nodded.

* * *

Meanwhile Byro was still glaring down upon Hiccup and the others. Hiccup himself was being strangled to death by Kanaloa.

"I've already explained the purpose for this whole Holy War," said Byro. "Yet you still assist on opposing us."

"Honestly, I don't know if I believe all that stuff you said about the end of the world," said Ruby clutching her fist. "I just care about keeping my dad memento safe! So that's why we're taking the hand and the other clock pieces! We're going to do our best to gather them all!"

"Enough of your sinful trivial," Byro glared.

Kanaloa then began to raise his remaining tentacles.

"Run, Sigrid! Hurry!" Ruby yelled.

"Okay!" Sigrid yelled.

Ruby then grabbed Taurus' key. "All right, _Open! Gate of the Golden Bull! Taurus!_ "

Taurus then appeared in thin air and raised his battleaxe in time to slice off one of Kanaloa's tentacles.

"One down," he said and then he sliced the tentacle holding Hiccup. "And that the second!"

"Why you…" Byro glared.

"I'm back in the action," Hiccup smiled.

"Let's do this," said Toothless flying towards him.

"It's time to show this guy that he can't mess with us," said Hiccup.

"Let's do it!" Ruby, Toothless and Gustav yelled.

" _Purple Mist!_ " Gustav yelled unleashing a blast of purple flames from his hand.

" _Fleuve d'étoiles!_ " Ruby yelled unleashing her extendable whip.

The two attacks then wrap themselves around Kanaloa leaving him completely immobile.

"No," said Byro as he jumped off Kanaloa.

"Do it now, Hiccup!" Gustav yelled.

"This is your chance!" Ruby yelled.

Toothless then grabbed him and they took off into the air.

"Here goes!" Hiccup yelled.

" _Max Speed!_ " Toothless roared as he entered into mach speed.

They then zoomed out straight towards Kanaloa and Toothless then released him. Hiccup then immediately covered himself in flames and spun around like a top.

" _Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!_ " he yelled.

He then slammed right into Kanaloa, using both the spin and Toothless added speed to make it attack even more powerful. It was so powerful that Kanaloa began to lose ground no matter how hard movie and Gustav pulled.

"I can't hold on!" Ruby yelled.

Then both Ruby and Gustav lost their grip and Kanaloa was sent flying towards the opposite side of the ruins.

Byro landed just in time to witness the collision. "By working together they restrain Kanaloa they can now focus on me. Quite the impressive attack. Apparently there's more to the _Dragon Tail_ Vikings than we originally thought."

Hiccup was standing on top of Kanaloa and then looked towards Byro. "I'm starting to lose my patience," he said. "You better give Ruby that clock hand or else you'll have to deal with me."

"I'm afraid I can't do that," said Byro. "As we speak members of your Guild are collecting the scattered clock pieces and are most likely bring them here." He and Hiccup then jumped and landed in front of one another. "I will do whatever it takes to stop you from gathering them."

"I'm also prepared to stop you from gathering the clock pieces," said Hiccup. "I'm going to make sure that no one can use them."

The two of them then eyed one another wondering what the other was about to do.

* * *

Meanwhile Skullcrusher and Windshear had retreated to a place where they couldn't be overheard by Eret and the others.

"So what you want to talk about?" Skullcrusher.

"I consider myself a proud member of the _Legion Platoon_. However, I have not forgotten my roots," she said. "I cannot deny that I'm an Exceed. I've come to realise that our sense of time is vastly different to that of the other races."

"It's common knowledge," said Skullcrusher. "We can live three times as long as a human."

"I know and something has bothered me since I deciphered that book. It may sound odd, but as someone who shares my sense of time you'll likely understand. I notice something inside of it that I feel the need to share with you."

" _The Key to the Starry Heavens_ ," said Skullcrusher.

Windshear nodded.

Skullcrusher looked at Windshear with a concerned look. "Let me get this straight. There is still something hidden within the book."

"Don't think by sharing this with you I'm denouncing the Temple of Thor. I will fulfil my duty as a member of the _Legion Platoon_. However, just as in Edolas, no one knows what course this Holy War and this world will take."

* * *

Meanwhile in the Archon's chambers a High Priest was looking slightly worried at the Archon.

"What are you doing, Archon?" the High Priest asked. "You shouldn't be up, sir."

"It's close," said the Archon without looking at the high priest. "So very close. _Time ticks forward, on towards inevitable chaos_." He then looked at the High Priest with a mad look in his eyes. "It won't be long until the end is upon us. So very close."

He then laughed maniacally in the High Priest fell to his knees, his spirit completely shattered.

* * *

Meanwhile Gildarts and Phlegma had arrived at the ruined village that had been completely burned to the ground.


	14. Time Begins to Tick

Hiccup and Byro was staring each other down and then suddenly the clock hand in Byro's hand began to glow.

"What?" Byro stared looking at the clock hand. "The clock hand."

"It started to resonate," said Sigrid.

* * *

It wasn't just the clock hand, but every single piece of the Infinity Clock began to glow much to the confusion of the _Dragon Tail_ Vikings holding them.

The Archon was in complete dismay. "It is happening," he said. "Time is ticking forward!" He then fell to his hands and knees. "The chaos, the everlasting midnight, it's coming!"

* * *

In the _Dragon Tail_ Guildhall, Brila suddenly shot up right in the bed she was in and she could hear a voice.

' _Your voice, let me hear it_ ,' it said.

"Who are you?" she asked. "Tell me. I have to know."

* * *

Meanwhile at the ruins, the clock hand and stop the resonating and Byro stuck it in the ground. Kanaloa then suddenly began to shrink any pick him up.

"You've done very well, Kanaloa," he said as the octopus continued to shrink. "I'll handle things from here on."

Ruby just stared. "Whoa, he's pocket–sized. How did that happen?"

"He has his own magic," said Byro plainly.

Hiccup then took a deep breath. " _Fire Dragon's Roar!_ " he yelled unleashing his breath attack upon Byro.

Byro merely swung his staff and the spell was dispelled.

"He neutralised it," Ruby stared.

"Magic is useless against him," said Sigrid.

"Then let's try this," said Hiccup as he fired a plasma blast that Byro.

However, Byro merely dispelled the plasma blast with the simplest of these. However, Hiccup use the attack the cover in order to get in close and swung his fist towards him. Unfortunately, Byro caught the attack with his bare hand clenched his fist and the kneed Hiccup hard in the chest taking the wind out of him. He then dealt a powerful kick sending Hiccup crashing into the ruins.

"Get away from him!" Ruby yelled pulling out Capricorns key. " _Open! Gate of the Sea Goat! Capricorn!_ "

"It won't work," said Byro raising his staff which glowed bright purple.

Ruby's eyes widened when she saw that the spell around her key didn't activate. "What the—?"

"My power nullifies all other forms of magic. You might as well surrender now," said Byro.

"Quite playing dirty, old man!" Gustav yelled.

"This Byro is far more powerful than the one we met in Edolas," Toothless grimaced.

"We'll never surrender!" Hiccup yelled as he drew _Inferno_ and harnessed his magic inside of it.

He then charged at Byro, but he merely neutralised the magic around _Inferno_ and then dealt another devastating kick to Hiccup. Hiccup managed to recover quickly, but stumbled slightly.

"Hiccup!" Toothless cried.

"You okay?" Gustav asked.

"No need to worry you guys, I can take it," said Hiccup. He then rose to his feet. "I've had time fist fights with Ragnar before."

He then charged at Byro once again, but Byro blocked his attack and then dealt a powerful punch into his face and then slammed his other fist right into Hiccup sending him flying. Ruby only watch horrified as Byro pummelled him constantly.

Valyya was slightly disgusted by the display as well. "This is so barbaric," she said.

Daan then shot up right. "Sorry, sir! I overslept again!" He then looked around. "Oh, it was just a dream. Shame because, Freyja and I were going to do some one-on-one sparring."

It was then that he noticed that Hiccup was battling against Byro, but it was practically a one-sided fight.

"This fight is completely one-sided," Hiccup breathed.

"Pathetic," said Byro looking at Hiccup. "Save yourself the humiliation and give up."

"With our magic we're completely helpless," Sigrid panicked.

"No, there's got to be something we can do," said Ruby.

"I hope you have a plan, Hiccup," said Toothless.

"I've got no choice, I have to fight hand-to-hand," said Hiccup. "I have to get clock hand or else we all lose. I'm not going to lose Astrid, I can promise you that."

"The fate of the entire world hangs in the balance yet you only careful personal affairs," said Byro in disgust.

"Got a problem with that?"

"Such shortsightedness, you couldn't possibly understand the weight of the burden we carry. We are prepared to sacrifice our lives for this mission."

"Personally, I would rather celebrate with my friends."

"Don't avert your eyes Valyya," said Daan. "He may our enemy, but he also has serious guts. The real battle is just beginning."

Hiccup raised _Inferno_ and set it ablaze.

Unbeknownst to anyone Nexus was watching from the ruins.

"Things appear to be heating up," he said. He then laughed. "Good luck, Night Fury and friends. I hope you manage to get a little thrill from this battle before we take you down?"

* * *

Meanwhile Gobber was sitting beside Brila's bed, who was still very confused.

"Gobber, what happened to me?" she asked.

"You just passed out from anaemia," he assured her. "You need to rest for a while."

"No," she said. "You don't have to lie, I know this has something to do with the spell I was under. It's all just a blur now. I don't remember being a snake. I'm afraid what will happen if I do remember. I don't think it would be a good thing." She then looked at Gobber. "Should I really be here?"

* * *

Seven years ago, practically after Allied Guilds took out the _Oración Seis_. Stoick frowned a snake and soon discovered that the snake was cursed under a very powerful spell, one he was able to reverse. Now laying on the bed was a young elven girl much to the bewilderment of everyone.

"Wait, you were changed into a snake," said Spitleout in disbelief.

"Yep," the young Brila nodded. "My memories from back then are pretty hazy accept one thing. Someone, who I held very dear, made a special promise to make. Isn't that wonderful?"

"A promise, huh?" said Gobber.

"He promised that even if we were torn apart, one day he will come back for me," she said in a dreamy voice.

"That's crazy," Spitelout grumbled.

Gobber looked at Stoick. "Hey, Stoick, who is that girl?"

"Believe it or not she used to be a snake moment ago," said Stoick folding his arms. "While we were out and about we spotted a snake that appear to be afflicted by a curse."

"And when you lifted the curse it changing into that little girl," said Spitelout sceptically.

"It was no easy task lifting it that's for sure," said Stoick. "And I don't know why it was placed. I used anything I can think of, but am afraid she is still unstable."

"Explains her memory loss," said Gobber looking at Brila.

"I think it would be best if we kept an eye on her for the time being," Stoick suggested.

"Any reason why?" Spitelout asked.

"I'm concerned about the voice she keeps hearing," said Stoick looking concerned. "It pains me to say this, but if her memories as a snake resurfaced she may not have the brightest future ahead of her."

"Poor lass, got it rough," said Gobber.

"Shame to think that her future could be ruined by her own memories," said Spitelout.

"Well then, we just have to make sure that doesn't happen," said Stoick.

* * *

Back in the present, Gobber was looking at Brila very concerned.

"Come on, lass, try to keep your chin up," he said encouragingly. "There's no reason to worry about the curse okay. I promise, no matter what happens, we'll be here to keep you safe. Just try and get some sleep."

Brila said nothing as you continue to wonder whose voice she keeps on hearing.

* * *

Meanwhile in the ruins, Hiccup was still trying to overpower Byro, but he was very easily outmatched. No matter what he tried Byro kept on countering each and every one of his attacks and then tossing him aside as if he was nothing more than an irritating fly.

They were so busy fighting they didn't see the clock hand resonating and will be sent an uneasy presence around her.

"Don't," said a voice.

Ruby looked up and then turned to Sigrid. "Did you hear that or am I going crazy?" she asked.

Sigrid frowned. "No."

Hiccup was on one knee and leaning against a sword completely exhausted.

"So you and your friends are prepared to sacrifice yourselves for your mission, huh?" Hiccup asked panting. He then looked up at Byro narrowed his eyes. "Life isn't something you toss aside so casually. You should protect it!" He then slowly got back onto his feet. "We fight for the lives of the people we call friends! Bonds we share is what drives us and pushes us to be better! Don't you know that friends aren't things or tools?" Suddenly a powerful flaming all covered his body. "You can't just use them however you please! They are more important than that!"

Hiccup then charged at Byro and raised _Inferno_ , but Byro dispelled his magic and then blocked his attack with his staff. He then dealt a powerful elbow into his face and then kneed him again sending him flying before punching him hard in the gut.

Valyya and Daan just watched the slaughter.

"It looks like he's broken several bones, but you couldn't tell by looking at his face," said Daan as Hiccup picked himself up. "That is on the look of defeat he's wearing right now."

Hiccup looked at the others. "Listen, I want you guys to stay out of this. I'm the only one among us who have a chance of beating him with out of magic." He then stumbled towards Byro. "I'm not going to lay down and die, old man—"

He then stumbled.

"Come on, get up!" Gustav yelled.

"Hiccup can barely stand anymore, but he'll find a way. Nothing can keep him down," said Toothless.

They watched as Hiccup attempted to get back up and Byro stood there without a single scratch on his body.

"Get up," Ruby cried. "I know you've got in you!"

"He's a worthy adversarial," said Daan.

"But Daan, I don't get it," said Valyya confused. "How can someone be as brave and kind as he is be an enemy of the Temple of Thor?"

"Well, he sure is acting like it one," said Daan.

Hiccup then use as much strength as he could muster and charged at Byro, catching them completely by surprise.

"What?" Byro stared.

Hiccup then punched him right in the middle of his face.

"He hit him!" Toothless yelled.

"That won't be enough," said Daan grimly.

Daan prediction came true as Byro looked completely unfazed. He then knocked him down to the ground with his elbow and pinned him his face to the ground with his foot.

"Strange sensation," he said looking down at Hiccup. "Looking upon you fills me with emotions I forgot a long time ago. Anger is at the forefront, you amble on about sanctity of life about the nobility behind your own vendetta, but you're nothing more than Guild rats chasing coin. And you would compare your avarice to our holy mission? Belittles not only us, but the Archon and ideals he represents!"

"That's not true!" Ruby yelled. "Where not in this for the money!"

"We've done plenty of jobs that we've done for free," Toothless glared. "And we've held a lot of people in the process."

"There's no need to defend us," Hiccup winced. "After all, you and your _Legion Platoon_ are thieves, taking what you want without even questioning your orders—"

Byro glared at him and then kicked him in the face sending him flying.

"This world is already saturated with chaos, the Infinity Clock addition may not even be noticed," said Byro. "However, the _Temple of Thor_ doctrine is to minimise the chaos and instead show the people of this world the righteous course of action. The privilege of putting those ideals into practice ball was upon the _Legion Platoon_."

Hiccup then got to his feet. "Tell me what's righteous attacking innocents and stealing from them without explanation?"

Everyone was quite surprised by his quick recovery.

"Hiccup isn't hurt anymore?" Sigrid blinked.

"How did he do that?" Toothless frowned.

"Look that's how!" Gustav pointed.

That's when they noticed that Hiccup was eating the flames from the torches all across the ruins.

"The torches!" Ruby gasped.

"Yeah, and there's tons of them," said Hiccup.

Byro looked at him furiously. "You dare to desecrate these flames! Does your blasphemy know no bounds?"

"To me you spoke blasphemy by disrespecting my guild and how you would sacrifice everything to accomplish your ends," Hiccup glared.

"You know he's pretty scary when he's angry," Sigrid whimpered.

"Very few people survive Hiccup's anger," said Ruby now looking slightly worried.

"Yeah, there's a good reason why he keeps his anger in check," Toothless nodded.

"Awesome!" Gustav cheered.

* * *

Up in the mountains pilgrims were on their knees praying as they face the ancient temple where the Archon resided.

' _I can hear it_ ,' said a voice. ' _It's so close now. The end is finally within our grasp._ '

In his chambers the Archon looked as if he was going mad.

"The end is finally within our gasp!" he yelled at the top of his voice. "The end is finally within our gasp!"

He then laughed maniacally.

All across the temple people were panicking as rumours of the Archon's madness was spreading.

"What's the Archon's condition?" a Priest asked.

"It hasn't improved at all," said another.

"The Founding Festival is just around the corner."

"It can't be helped, the High Priests have convened. They're selecting the next Archon as we speak.

"Don't be ridiculous," said a voice.

Everyone looked over and saw a High Priest make his way down the steps. The High Priest had short silver grey hair and was wearing a medallion that indicated that he was part of an elite group of High Priests.

"High Priest Vex?"

"When did you get back?"

"Replacing the Archon is utter nonsense," said Vex. "I'm afraid we are faced with a far greater problem right now."

"What do you mean, sir?"

"There are traitors to the Temple of Thor in our midst." Everyone then gasped in horror. "Unfortunately, the Infinity Clock has recently become public knowledge. As if that weren't enough, there are also the attacks upon our temples. I am told these actions are the work of an insider."

"My word?"

"Is there any proof of this?"

Vex then looked down at the priest. "Do you think I have cause to deceive you?"

"No, of course not, sir."

"I'm suspicious of the priest who survived one of these attacks. I wish to question him personally immediately," Vex ordered. "Bring him at once!"

"Yes, your Eminence!" they all said.

"I will turn to the Archon myself," said Vex as he turned. "From this point on, no one is to entered his chambers accept me."

Vex then made his way into the Archon chambers.

* * *

Meanwhile Byro was now continuing his attack on Hiccup even more ferociously than before.

"This is a Holy War!" Byro roared as he tossed Hiccup aside. "The retrieval of the Infinity Clock, that sacred mission is sole purpose of the _Legion Platoon_. The misguided principles of a measly Guild can't even compare." He then looked down at Hiccup. "If consuming fire is another man of magic then I will neutralise it as well."

"Try it," said Hiccup.

"That's cheating!" Gustav yelled.

"Why don't you fight him fair and square, old man?" Toothless yelled.

"Or just give up," said Ruby firmly.

Valyya was slightly disturbed by this spectacle.

"I'm surprised that Lord Byro has unused a single offensive spell yet," she said.

"Don't act so surprised," said Daan. "I mean the man's strength is legendary. Only four others in the whole of Septem can even stand up to him."

"A weak and helpless fool like you is unfit to lead this world out of darkness," said Byro as he taunted Hiccup.

"What did you call me?" Hiccup panted.

"A weak and helpless fool," said Sigrid under her breath.

Byro then grabbed the helm of his shirt and pulled him up looking at him straight in the eye. "A coin chasing wretch couldn't possibly understand what we fight for." He then tossed Hiccup onto the ground. "In this world of misery people will cling to anything that provides hope and if that happens to be the Temple of Thor then cling to it they shall!"

Hiccup pulled himself up and swung _Inferno_ at him, but Byro merely used his staff to block every single swing.

"As do we," Byro continued. "So with the Archon ordered us to find the clock then that's what we'll do!" He then disarmed Hiccup and then kneed him in the stomach. When Hiccup was launched into the air, Byro grabbed his shirt and tossed him right back into the ground. "If that order requires us to sacrifice ourselves or others to succeed then so be it. It's our duty, the greater good must be served."

"That doesn't make any sense!" Gustav yelled.

"You're dead wrong," said Toothless.

"No kidding, don't you care that people are suffering because you and your mission? Are you really that heartless?" Ruby asked.

"It is foolish to act upon emotion, it solves nothing," said Byro as Hiccup picked himself up "To reveal the course of righteousness and to walk its path unvetted…" He then continued his attack upon Hiccup. "We are faced with difficult decisions and are forced to make sacrifices. The world is filled with the brim of contradictions, I believe that we are all painfully aware of that fact. Therefore it is only logical that the past I've chosen will end in sacrifice."

"Ah man, the critics in my head is all jumbled up after that speech," said Daan quietly.

"Making difficult choices, that must be rather easy for you," said Sigrid and Ruby and the others turned to her.

Byro then turned and looked at her. "What?"

"You said that you followed your cause to make choices instead of listening to your emotions. That's just a strategy to avoid feeling guilty, hardening your heart to suffer and you can justify any decision."

"Sigrid," Ruby breathed.

Daan that appeared out of nowhere placed his arm around her. "I'm a little lass from all this philosophy so why don't we just make out? Sound good?"

"You dare dispute the principles of righteousness to me!" Byro roared as he picked Hiccup up with his foot.

He then tossed Hiccup towards them.

"Get down, Ruby!" Daan yelled shoving Ruby aside.

Hiccup then collided into him.

"Stop it now!" Toothless yelled glaring at Byro. "This is righteous? If you ask me you are nothing more than a bunch of bullies. This is just like we saw in Edolas, those in power making everyone suffer and give up their freedom in the name of something righteousness! Any pact that hurt innocent people can never lead to the greater good! In fact it's nothing more than a dead end!

"If you're willing to follow that path then what does it say about you, huh? Everyone deserves the right to choose their own path for good or ill. We Guild rats decide to use our power to help people who need it. Yes, it is our job and we get paid for it, but in return they get happiness that how we got to where we are. That is how a Guild works! _Dragon Tail_ will never lose to somebody like you, because they righteousness will not help anyone!"

Byro just stared down at Toothless. "I can't believe what I'm hearing," he then gritted his teeth. "You dare ridicule the followers… no all of the Temple of Thor to that extent!"

"You bet I do, because you should be ashamed," said Toothless.

"Whoa, bud, way to tell him," Hiccup smiled as Ruby helped him up.

"That's right, _Dragon Tail_ members listen to what's in our hearts," said Ruby.

"Our guild is about helping anybody who needs help," said Gustav.

Byro clearly had enough as he raised his staff into the air and started to glow in a violent purple light.

"Enough of this nonsense!" he roared. "Time for your divine punishment!"

"That's what you think!" Gustav yelled charging towards him.

Toothless took on his battle form. "Take him down!"

Hiccup and the others opened their eyes in horror as they sensed a great magic power emanating from his staff.

"Get back here!" Hiccup yelled.

"Gustav!" Ruby yelled.

Daan stared at Byro in horror. "Lord Byro, are you mad?" Suddenly an arrow began to form within the light aiming straight towards Gustav and Toothless. "You can't use _Divine Arrow_ on people, you'll kill them!"

"I shall turn you to dust!" Byro roared. "Now Bernard be purified by fire of your own sins!"

Hiccup and Ruby were rushing towards Gustav and Toothless, but there was no way they could reach them in time.

" _Divine Arrow!_ " Byro roared and fired the arrow.

The arrow then headed straight towards them cutting through the ruins like they were made of paper, but then the strangest thing happened. The arrow soared over their heads and passed them harmlessly.

"He missed?" Ruby stared.

Not exactly, at the very last minute Valyya appeared and pushed Byro's stat slightly causing the arrow to miss them.

"Valyya?" Byro stared. "What are you doing?"

"Zero points, lord Byro," said Valyya as she jumped back. She then looked at him pleadingly. "Please, you have to stop. All the suffering, all the chaos we have caused our mission… that isn't what the _Legion Platoon_ or the Temple of Thor stands for. We should be using our strength to protect the weak, instead of just breaking them down we should be building them up and showing them the way. What is righteous about slaughtering our flock? Don't you see, it is hypocrisy and I simply can't abide it any longer."

"Blasphemy!" Byro roared. "How dare you turn your back upon our doctrine!"

"I'm fully aware the penalty of betraying the _Legion Platoon_ , but I can no longer see the righteousness of the end of this part, sir."

"Righteousness is like an arrow, it pierces through all in an unwavering line in order to arrive at one thing… truth," said Byro pointing his staff at her. "Are you telling me that teaching has been lost on you?"

"If the arrow must pierce the heart of lost lambs in order to find what is right then it's wrong and should be snapped into pieces!" Valyya yelled.

"What?" Byro glared.

"Lord Byro, I still believe we can do good, but I realise there's more to me than just doctrine. After seeing the way these people act, how they say the world, I can't help but feel with warm and happiness." She then looked up at him with a smile. "And I'm sure if you open your heart to them you might start to feel the same way I do."

"Valyya," said Byro through gritted teeth. His staffing glowed a violent purple. "You've been corrupted! You record traitor!"

"Don't do it!" Daan pleaded.

Byro however ignored his pleas and raised his staff. "You will not be allowed a tribunal! The only thing that awaits you is death!"

"Valyya!" Ruby yelled running towards her.

Valyya then looked at her with a tear in her eye. "Goodbye, Ruby. Thanks… I really wish you and I could have been friends!"

A bright light then consumed her as Ruby outstretched hand feeling utterly helpless.

However at the last second, Astrid appeared in her _Boneknapper Armour_ and blocked the attack. She then separated the shield and glared upon Byro.

"You!" Byro glared.

"I didn't get the chance of fighting the last time we met, but now I've got that chance," said Astrid glaring at him.

Byro glared at her. "Freyja!"

"Do not speak my name," Astrid glared as she reverted back to her normal attire. "It disgusts me to hear it from someone who turn on their allies. You're despicable!"

"Astrid!" Hiccup and Ruby yelled with relief.

"We're not in the habit of putting up with bullies like you old man," said Ragnar's voice.

They looked up and saw Ragnar and his team looking down at them.

"Ragnar and Heather!" Toothless cried. He then noticed Lyon. "Wait, why is Lyon here?"

"Come on, is this old time really giving you that much trouble?" Ragnar smiled looking at Hiccup.

"You won't believe how much," Hiccup smiled back.

Ruby then saw that the others had appeared.

"Everyone made it," she said with an open mouth. "And they found the other clock pieces."

"Even Eret is here," Hiccup noted.

"Stormfly's group hit pay dirt too," said Toothless.

"And with our piece we've almost got the whole set," Gustav smiled pointing at their clock piece.

Astrid then looked at Byro. "As you can see, we've attained all five clock pieces apart from one. Hand over what you stole from Ruby and we'll leave in peace. I'll only ask once."

Byro then picked up the clock hand. "Then you'll have to take it from me, Freyja."

"You're outnumbered, Byro," Astrid pointed out. "We'll take themall right and seal them. Now…" She then summoned her battle-axe. "Be smart it's over. Surrender it!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that," said Byro. "The Infinity Clock was originally property of the _Temple of Thor_. Destiny demands that we watch over it."

Valyya blinked. "What?"

Ruby looked at Daan. "Is that true?"

"Well, to be honest I'm not really sure," he said rubbing the back of his head.

"You Guild rats have become too involved in this," said Byro not noticing the clock and was resonating. "You glimpse into a dark abyss that the world should never know. Because of that I cannot allow you to leave here alive."

"Enough!" Astrid yelled and then summoned her _Deadly Nadder Armour_. "Prepare yourself!"

Suddenly everyone unleashed their magic attacks upon Byro in all different directions. None of them realised the type of magic that Byro possessed.

"No don't!" Ruby yelled.

"He'll neutralise your attacks!" Hiccup yelled.

"Such fools," said Byro. He then swung his staff and every single attack vanished.

"What happened? Did he just block all of them?" Ragnar gasped.

"Even with our numbers?" Astrid stared.

Astrid and Ragnar then jumped from their positions towards Hiccup and Astrid return to normal attire.

"Magic attacks don't work on him," said Hiccup.

"This will be interesting," said Astrid.

"I think you mean annoying," said Ragnar.

"This fight won't be easy," said Toothless.

"One spell or a thousand, it makes no difference," said Byro. "In my presence, you cease to become Vikings entirely."

"There's still one option left," said Astrid.

"If we can't use magic we'll use our fists," said Ragnar.

"How arrogant," said Byro. "I been trained to fight their hand against 50 opponents at once. You won't even warming up."

"I wouldn't count us out just yet," said Hiccup.

"Be careful, he had a warrior's mark," said Astrid cautiously.

"Sounds like a challenge," said Ragnar.

Then the glow from the clock hand began to glow even more brightly and Ruby then sense an eerie presence. She then had a vision of the father standing in front of her.

"Dad?" she breathed.

" _Don't_ ," said a voice. " _I told you, don't do it._ " Ruby turned and saw the girl from the storybook looking down at her. " _Time has ticked and now chaos has come_."

Ruby then found herself staring at the clock hand which was towering above her.

"No," she breathed. "This is the beginning of the end."

* * *

At the same time the _Dragon Tail_ Guild, Brila was starting to laugh maniacally and Stoick and Valka sense an eerie presence in the forest.

"No," said Stoick. "What horrible power."

"This is the beginning of the end?" Valka stared.

* * *

At the ruins, Byro was then pushed backwards by the clock hand which was emanating a powerful burst of magic. It then floated up into the air as did the other clock pieces.

"Big Sis, look! The clock!" Sigrid pointed.

Ruby's eyes widened in horror. "I see it, but what's happening?"

The pieces then suddenly came together they the sound of time that echoed all across the ancient ruins. It felt as if it passed right through their bodies vibrating every single molecule inside of them and they all stared as the Infinity Clock stood in front of them now fully completed.

* * *

The sound could be heard all across the land and all the pilgrims that resided outside the Archon's temple began to panic. They were the only ones panicking and inside the temple people are scrambling in all directions.

Vex was in the Archon's chambers when he heard a knock at the door and heard people screaming outside. The Archon was sitting at the foot of his bed clutching his head.

"I can hear it," he said. "Everlasting midnight has come, at last."

He then gave out mad laughter.

Vex then turned towards the door. "Those mindless fools," he said. "Swarming like insects."

* * *

In the ancient ruins everyone was witnessing the Infinity Clock's effect upon them and it was excruciating.

"My ears are bleeding," said Hiccup clutching his head.

"That's some alarm clock," said Toothless.

"The city is collapsing," said Astrid noticing the foundations were shaking.

"It can't be," Ruby breathed. "Why now?"

"This isn't the time to space out," said Ragnar looking at them all. "Let's get out of here!"

Hiccup then smote a familiar scent in the air and his eyes widened in horror. "That smell," he said. "But how?" He then looked at everyone. "Keep your guard up we're in real hot water!"

They suddenly saw figures in the dust and they recognised all four of them. They were Midnight, Cobra, Valkyrie and Racer all of them now wearing completely different attire and was seven years older. Along with them was Nexus and a pale-looking man in a robe holding a scythe .


	15. Enter the Neo-Oración Seis!

Standing over them were some of the _Oración Seis_ , plus Nexus and a robed man with a scythe. The members of the _Oración Seis_ had undergone some massive changes.

Midnight appeared to be in charge now and it has grown even longer and he was no longer wearing the punk look, but resembled a lot closer to Brian. Valkyrie was now wearing a blue dress with white feathers and hair had blown even longer. Cobra now had a scar across his right eye, but other than that yet change at all. Racer was now wearing a jumpsuit and the way he was standing indicated he had changed considerably.

"It's them," said Hiccup.

" _Oración Seis_?" Ruby gasped.

"That's not good," said Toothless.

"I was hoping never to see them again, but here they are," said Ragnar.

"And it appears they have new members," Astrid noted.

"You may have met them before, but now they have changed," said Nexus looking down at them. "May I introduce to you the new and improved _Neo-Oración Seis_!"

"Did he say the _Neo-Oración Seis_?" Hiccup and his team gasped.

"You seem surprised," said Midnight fiddling with his braids. "A great deal has changed since the last time we met."

"For us it's only been a few months, Midnight," Hiccup glared.

"I no longer go by that name. From now on I ask that you refer to me as Brain the Second."

"I'll call you whatever I want," Hiccup glared. "Now tell us what you're doing here!"

"I have one single wish, to make my father dream a reality and that is to destroy all that has performed in this world," said Brain.

Astrid narrowed her eyes. "I can't believe you are spouting the same nonsense."

Brain smiled and then all the _Neo-Oración Seis_ , apart from Nexus, raise their hands into the air. "You've been very helpful. Thank you, but I'm afraid we no longer require your services."

Suddenly the Infinity Clock began to glow and suddenly the emblem appeared every single one of the clock pieces.

"What do we do Lord Byro?" Daan asked.

"Fight," Byro said plainly. "We have to stop them."

"As you wish," said Daan as he drew his spear and shield.

Then he and Byro charged at them.

"You're not taking them on alone," said Hiccup running after them.

"Stay out of this," said Daan.

"Lousy insects," said Brain waving his hand. "Look at how they swarm."

Then suddenly appearing in front of him was a Dark Magic Circle and dark magic fired from it, the same kind that the original Brain used last time they faced them.

"I'm going about your attack right back at you," said Daan raising the shield.

The attack did struck his shield, but the attack did bounce back and instead there was a huge explosion that sent Daan flying.

"Oh no, Daan's shield has never failed him before," Valyya gasped.

Byro looked at Hiccup. "You stay back."

"Beg pardon," said Hiccup.

"All manners of magic are ineffective against—"

Then suddenly from out of nowhere Brain provide another volley of dark magic and this time it actually struck Byro the same manner he took Daan out.

"Wait a second, I thought the old man could neutralise magic?" Ragnar frowned.

"So did I," said Astrid in confusion.

"Not only destroyed the range of Byro's magic, but you attacked him at the same time," said Nexus looking at Brain. "You're an absolute genius Lord Brain."

"Do you sense anything, Stormfly?" Merrill asked.

"Yes," Stormfly nodded. "An immense ominous magic power."

"You may not be aware of this, but once the Infinity Clock bears the seal of a Viking becomes their property," said Brain. Suddenly he vanished and reappeared on top of the Infinity Clock. "You know what that means, don't you? Now that it bears our seal the clock belongs to us."

Suddenly they heard the clock chime once again.

"My what a beautiful sound," said Valkyrie.

Daan looked up and stared at Valkyrie.

"That's not fair!" Ruby yelled indignantly. "You can't just show up out of nowhere and steal it for yourself!"

"I can hear it," said Cobra. "You're growing anger and confusion. It's building up within you."

"Ain't that a lot," said Racer.

"Unfortunately, we dark ones are forbidden from touching the Infinity Clock. Therefore we had to have you assemble it for," Valkyrie smiled.

"Curse you!" Byro roared.

"So we were being used," said Ruby. "No way." She then looked towards Sigrid, whose expression was completely emotionless. "If that's true, then what about my dad? Why would he do this?"

"My tail is sticking on end," said Toothless. "These guys are far more powerful than they were before."

"I know, the magic power and sensing from them…" said Astrid.

"It's on a whole other level then it was before," Ragnar finished.

"That should be expected, it was seven years ago since we last faced them they've bound to have gotten stronger in that time," said Hiccup.

"We don't allow anyone to dance in the palms of our hands," said Cobra with a smirk. "So you should be honoured."

"I'll show you how honoured I!" Hiccup yelled and unleashed his breath attack.

However, the cloaked figure suddenly appeared in front of them and a Magic Circle appeared in front of him and it stopped his attack cold.

"Whoa, he diffused Hiccup's fire attack," Ragnar stared.

"No way," Astrid breathed.

"He used _Wind Magic_ ," Merrill gasped.

"Indeed," said the man. "However it is nothing as mild as plain wind." Suddenly his herd was blown off to reveal a hairless face with dazed eyes, but his face was familiar. "My magic is strong like a brewing storm."

"That didn't really familiar to me," Toothless frowned. "I think I recognise him from somewhere."

"Yeah, me too," Hiccup nodded.

"You would recognise him, because you've bought him when he was the guild master of Mad Berserker," said Nexus. "He is none other than Dagur that Deranged!"

"These days I go by Grim Reaper," said Dagur.

Hiccup and his team's eyes widened.

"That's Dagur?" Hiccup stared.

"Not again," Ragnar groaned.

"He's like a completely different person now," said Astrid.

"Though it's not for the better," said Toothless.

"Come on, Brain," said Cobra tiredly. "How long are we going to waste our time with these idiots?"

"Don't forget we have an important goal to achieve," Valkyrie reminded.

"I am well aware," said Brain. "However, we have a score to settle. They humiliated us seven years ago so now it's our turn. Cobra, Racer."

"Yeah," the two of them nodded and jumped.

"Okay guys, let's take them down!" Hiccup ordered.

"You got it!" Astrid and Ragnar yelled.

Astrid changed into her _Changewing Armour_ and Ragnar removed his shirt and they joined Hiccup and charge straight at them.

Racer landed on the ground and a split second later he began pummelling them.

Toothless just stared. "Wow, he's so fast. I never even saw him hit them."

"Damnit, I couldn't get ahead in," said Ragnar as he and Astrid skidded across the ground.

"He seems so much stronger and faster than the last time we fought," said Astrid. Racer then reappeared behind Heather and Lyon and then took them out in the same manner as he did them. "Is he using a _Slow Spell_?"

Ragnar shook his head. "No. I don't sense one at least."

"He's like a wild animal," said Astrid as Racer reappeared standing on all fours. "An untamed beast hunting its prey."

"Well, well," said a voice behind Merrill and Stormfly. The two of them turned and saw Cobra standing there. "If it isn't the Maiden of the Sea and her cat. It's been a while." He then looked directly at them. "What's the matter? You don't look very happy to see me." Merrill and Stormfly found themselves unable to move as if they were paralysed by fear. "What? Do I frighten you?" Suddenly a powerful presence ran through his body. "You've seen nothing yet."

"I can't move!" Stormfly cried.

"Me neither," said Merrill in fear. "It's like frozen in fear."

"Stop messing with them and face me!" Hiccup roared as he drew _Inferno_ and charged at Cobra.

"I was hoping to face you," said Cobra. "You deafened me the last time we faced and now I get to return the favour!"

Cobra then snapped his fingers and Hiccup's voice echoed all across the ancient city creating a massive explosion knocking out Gustav and Agatha.

"Hey, are you all right, Sigrid?" Ruby asked leaning over towards Sigrid.

"I think so," she said.

"What in the world just happened?" Stormfly asked weakly.

"He was able to turn Hiccup's scream into some kind of weapon," Merrill winced.

"Nice trick," said Hiccup, who started to get up. "But it'll take more than that to take me down."

"I can hear all the despair you're feeling right now," said Cobra looking at him. "I'll use your own voice to destroy you."

Daan noticed that Byro was terribly injured which was a shock in itself.

"Valyya, hurry and take Lord Byro to the escape route," Daan ordered.

"But I don't want to leave you," said Valyya.

"Don't worry about me, save yourself while you still can." He then turned and gestured to Spitelout and Adelaide who were knocked out. "Would you look how strong these guys are? It's clear to everyone how we'll face that"

Racer then took out Snotlout in a blink of an eye. "Ha, to slow," he said.

Astrid and Ragnar charged at Grim Reaper, but it in a powerful wave of wind that sent them flying.

"If you can't handle my gale force winds then you're no match for my tornado," he said and suddenly the two of them found themselves in a terrifying tornado and were completely blown away.

"Daan," Byro breathed. "You should come with us."

Daan turned towards him. "I can't, because there's something I still need to do. It is my duty so I'm willing to put my life on the line."

He then stood there with his back towards Ruby, Sigrid and Toothless and looked at the remaining _Neo-Oración Seis_ and pointed his spear at them.

"Listen you, you're in possession of something is not yours!" he said. "You may be stronger than I am, but I refuse to budge. Not until it is returned to its rightful owner."

"Daan," Ruby stared.

"You knew that he could be so chivalrous," said Sigrid.

"Certainly not me," said Toothless.

"What a dimwit," said Valkyrie as Daan continued to talk. "Don't you realise that it is pointless."

However, Daan eyes stared transfixed at Valkyrie and stopped. "I finally found my true love!" he cried.

Then to everyone complete bewilderment, Daan tossed both his spear and shield away and ran up to Valkyrie and grasped her hand.

"What can I call you?" he asked with a love stricken smile.

"The name is Valkyrie and I hate overly aggressive men," she said looking at him with disgust.

"He sure falls in love fast," said Sigrid as Nexus electric did him with a bolt of lightning.

"Something tells me he doesn't have a lot of experience," said Toothless as Daan fell to the ground.

"Your love makes me feel tingly all over," said Daan weakly.

"I think that has more to do with me electrocuting you," said Nexus.

Byro and Valyya just shook their heads in bewilderment.

"We're obviously far too strong," said Valkyrie.

"Yeah, you can say that again," said Cobra.

" _Dragon Tail_ is weak," said Racer.

"Very weak," Grim Reaper agreed.

"We should be going now," said Brain. He then turned to Valkyrie. "Valkyrie, take care of them."

"As you wish, Brain," said Valkyrie as she placed a hand over chest. "The cost is 30."

Suddenly her hands began to glow.

"You remember her, right?" said Toothless looking at Ruby. "She's a _Celestial Viking_."

"Yeah, I remember how I'd beat her last time," said Ruby.

Suddenly appearing in Valkyrie's hands with three golden coins. "Amazing how things change in seven years. I was but a child since last we met, now I am quite literally a Valkyrie. Surely you don't think that the spirits will defy me?" She then tossed the coin up into the air. "I'll show you the power and beauty of my Valkyrie Magic. The very sight of it makes people collapsed to their knees, lose all heart and give away their own lives." Suddenly there was a bright light that blinded everyone. "Come forth on the night and in my name reveal your light! Oh Valkyrie and Herald, Eyrifa I summon thee!"

Suddenly appearing before them a white Valkyrie that possesses three heads, two large wings and two large arms.

"Protect our seal and make this their pyre!" Valkyrie commanded.

Suddenly the entire ancient city was filled with a blinding light and everyone vanished from sight.

* * *

Outside in the desert, Windshear, Viggo and Ryker arrived just in time to witness the flames emerging from the desert.

"It would appear as if we're too late," said Viggo.

"No!" Ryker yelled. "It would appear as if the clock is gone!"

"This is terrible," Windshear agreed. "I had a bad feeling that this might happen."

"What do you mean?" Ryker asked looking at the Exceed. "Wait a minute, are you trying to say this is what you calculated?"

"No, my calculations were wrong," she admitted. "Which is rare for me. I have a suspicion that someone manipulated them to be wrong."

"What do you mean?" Viggo asked curiously.

"Yeah, care to explain?" Ryker asked folding his arms.

"Can't you sense it, the overwhelming presence of evil in this place?" Windshear asked.

"Whatever the case, Lord Byro and the others are trapped down there somewhere with it," said Viggo. "We have to do something to help them."

Unbeknownst to them the ship was flying away from the smoke.

* * *

Meanwhile at Era Heyral and Palan had just informed the group of employers of the situation in the desert.

"The _Oración Seis_?" said one of the workers. "That's impossible!"

"I was under the impression that they had been incarcerated?"

"Yes, we all were."

"May I ask if anyone there to witness their appearance?" Palan asked.

"Well, actually…"

"According to the reports the _Dragon Tail_ Guild was there to."

Heyral slammed his staff on the floor. "Not that reckless group of trouble makers again!"

"I knew they used to be troublesome, sir, but from what I understand they haven't caused us any problems since their new Master has taken over."

"Yes, that is true," said Palan with a small smile on his face. "But the former master Stoick the Vast has recently returned and has taken over the Guild again."

Upon hearing this development of the employers grimaced.

"I'm aware of that," said Heyral grimly. "And of course he's brought the old problems back with him."

"You can hardly blame for this debacle," said Palan.

"True, but I really like to know who is to blame."

Then suddenly a fourth employer arrived and kneeled down. "Sir, the office of the Honour Guard is here to see you."

"Good, go ahead and send in," said Palan. "Thank you."

* * *

Soon in one of the courtrooms Alistair was were standing in front of the Viking Council.

"Captain Alistair of the Honour Guard at your service," said Alistair respectfully.

"We've been expecting you," said Heyral. "Speak."

"Yes, sir," said Alistair looking at him troublingly. "I bring you important news."

"I see and judging from the troubled look you have it must have been the genuine _Oración Seis_ who appeared in the desert."

"Indeed," Alistair nodded. "You have a truly keen, sir."

"So it's true," said Palan grimly.

"Though I am ashamed to admit it for members of the _Oración Seis_ Midnight, Cobra, Valkyrie and Racer escaped from our custody some time ago. But they weren't the only ones Dagur the Derange of _Mad Berserker_ broke out as well and he has since joined their ranks. It was a security breach the likes of which we have never seen. They had been replaced with dolls which I can only assume were created with magic."

"First _him_ and now the six demons," said Heyral grimly.

" _Personification Magic_ , but I thought casting spells were banned with in the prison walls?" said Palan.

"I suspect they may have had outside assistance," Alistair assumed.

"Hmm, do you know of anyone that came into contact with the _Oración Seis_ during their seven years of imprisonment?" Heyral asked.

"There was one person in particular," said Alistair. "A priest sent from the Grand Temple of the _Temple of Thor_. I'm told he visited regularly taking and hearing their confessions to facilitate atonement for their sins."

"Tell me more. Who is this priest?" said Heyral leaning forward.

"I don't know, sir," said Alistair. "We can find no record of him."

"But that's impossible there may be no record of this priest, but there are multiple Surveillance Lacrimas scattered throughout the prison. Surely one of them must have picked up his image."

"Apparently the prison Surveillance Lacrimas the recently replaced. Any that have been active at the time of his visits have been sent for disposal."

"We must retrieve those lacrimas. Track them down! We need them to identify this man!"

"Perhaps we should consult with the Temple of Thor officials," Palan suggested.

Alistair bowed. "I'll make my way to the Grand Temple at once, sir."

"This priest is the only lead we have right now," said Heyral. "Please do your best Captain."

"I will, sir."

* * *

Meanwhile Hiccup finally regained consciousness and was face-to-face with Olatrand, much to his surprise.

"Man," said Olarland.

Hiccup immediately shot up right and their head collided.

"You're up," said Toothless looking up. "It's about time."

"Where in the name of Thor are we?" Hiccup asked rubbing his sore forehead.

"The _Blue Pegasus_ Guildhall," said Toothless.

Hiccup looked up and saw that he recognised the place. "It's been a long time since I've been here last."

"It is nice to see that you remember our blissful parfum," said Olatrand, who had recovered from Hiccup sudden outburst.

"Is everyone else all right?" Hiccup asked.

"There's no need to worry, I rescued all your comrade," said Olatrand gesturing to everyone sitting around. "Thank the Ancestors that no one was seriously hurt."

"It's nice to see you again, young Hiccup," said Humungously Hotshot the Hero.

Hiccup turned and saw the Pegasus Guild Master behind the bar along with Astrid, Ragnar and Ruby.

"You're up," Ruby smiled.

"You took the worst of it," said Ragnar looking slightly relieved.

Astrid then rushed up to him and wrapped her arms around him. "Thank Thor, you're safe. It's a good thing that Olatrand arrived when he did."

"No kidding," said Ruby. "Talk about incredible, if he had did when he did we'd been buried in rubble right now."

"Then we owe you one," said Hiccup looking at Olatrand.

"You do not owe me anything," Olatrand assured. "I know you would do the same."

"Of course he would, he's Stoick's boy," Humungously smiled. He then gave a sly smile to Astrid and Hiccup's embraced. "Ah, young love."

Hiccup and Astrid quickly separated looking quite embarrassed.

Hiccup looked at Olatrand. "So where the others?"

"Arvin and the others are currently travelling abroad another mission," Olatrand explained.

"Where's Lyon?" Ragnar asked.

"Olatrand was kind enough to take back to _Thor Hammer_ ," said Astrid.

"And the _Legion Platoon_?" Hiccup asked.

"I'm afraid I didn't find anyone else down there," said Olatrand.

Hiccup folded his arms. "This is deeply troubling."

"What is it Hiccup?" Ruby asked curiously.

"The _Oración Seis_ return was extremely unexpected and now they've got their hands on the Infinity Clock. Last time they tried to use _Nirvana_ to bring chaos to the world and I'm willing to bet to do the same thing with the Infinity Clock. We have to stop them before they continue with their plans."

Everyone nodded.

"I'm just a surprise about the _Oración Seis_ revival as you," said Olatrand troublingly. "I'll do whatever I can do help."

"We certainly appreciate it," said Astrid.

"Hey guys, where is Sigrid?" Ruby asked noticing that she wasn't around.

"She left a while ago said that she wanted to get some fresh air," said Ragnar.

* * *

Sigrid was in the same rundown temple that Leo lived when he attempted to free Aries and Ruby soon joined.

"It's my fault, isn't it?" she said looking at the statue of Thor. "After all, I'm the one that was the clock hand."

"You did nothing wrong," Ruby assured.

"But that's why so many of our friends have gotten hurt. Why our problems keep on getting bigger and bigger."

Ruby shook her head. "Look, you can't think like that Sigrid. You've got to stay positive. Focus on the good stuff, if you had never brought me that clock hand I never would have met you." Sigrid still looked slightly upset. "So don't beat yourself up about it okay."

"Yeah," Sigrid nodded. "I guess you're right." She then looked at her. "I love you, Big Sister."

Hiccup, Astrid, Ragnar, Gustav and Toothless were listening in as they heard Sigrid's cries and watched Ruby stroke her ahead reassuringly.

Ruby then looked at the statue of Thor. ' _Dad, I wish I knew why do interested that clock hand to me? I know there is a message behind it and_ Key of the Starry Heavens _, but I can't figure out what you're trying to tell me._ '

Ruby's eyes widened when she realised what her father had been trying to tell her along. Sigrid noticed the difference in her expression and pulled away from her and gave her a confused look.

"What's the matter?" she asked.

"We should head back," said Ruby. "I have an idea, but I need to reread _Key of the Starry Heavens_. I think I finally figured out what's really going on. I know what my Dad was trying to tell me."

* * *

A few moments later, they were turned back to the Blue Pegasus Guildhall and Ruby began looking through the _Key of the Starry Heavens_. Upon closer inspection she realised that she had been right and was completely horrified.

"Sorry guys, but I got it wrong," said Ruby closing the book.

"Ruby what are you talking about?" Astrid frowned in confusion.

"I understand now. It makes sense." She then stood up and looked at everyone. "We weren't supposed to gather the clock pieces."

"We weren't?" Astrid blinked.

"What makes you say that?" Ragnar asked curiously.

"I was wrong," said Ruby completely hating herself now. "I re-read the book and I think I finally figured out its message. It was trying to warn us not to assemble the Infinity Clock. It seems so obvious, I don't know how in the name of Thor I missed it before."

"That's not good," said Sigrid. "We're in quite the predicament, aren't we?"

"We did the opposite of what we were supposed to?" Merrill stared.

"So all this time we thought we were doing the right thing, we were really just helping out the _Oración Seis_ ," said Toothless.

"I should have known," said Stormfly remembering the vision she had in Ruby's mansion. "That wasn't a premonition, it was a warning."

"I can't believe I was so cocky. I thought I had it all figured out," said Ruby as he placed a hand over her face and began to cry. "I was wrong. Sorry, Dad. Please, forgive me. I'm so sorry."

"It sounds as though your good intentions backfired," said Olatrand.

"That's putting it mildly. Something horrible is going to happen and it's… my fault."

"Iif anyone is to blame it your dad, because he made things so complicated," said Hiccup.

"Yeah, no joke," Toothless nodded. "You he was really going overboard with the anagrams and riddles."

"How could he possibly expect you to figure that out on your own," said Stormfly shaking her head.

"If he didn't want you to gather them then he should have come out and told you," Ragnar agreed.

"Unfortunately, some people feel the need to make things difficult," Astrid nodded.

"Ruby even if you did realise the message, the _Legion Platoon_ would gather the clock pieces anyway and they would have been in the hands of the _Neo-Oración Seis_ ," Hiccup pointed out.

"Hey and we wouldn't have known about them," Toothless nodded.

"At least this way we know what up against. Now I say you turn that frown upside down and we get to work."

Ruby smiled.

"Ah, Ruby smiling," said Merrill happily. "Are we cheering you up?"

"Yeah, I can't help it and smile when everyone is being silly," said Ruby with a large grin.

"They say laughter is the best medicine around?" said Hiccup placing his hands behind his head.

"Isn't that the truth," said Toothless.

"Thank you cheering me up, guys," Ruby smiled.

"Everyone fails at some point, but you could always set it right again," said Olatrand and Ruby turned towards him. "Don't be sad. Look around you, you've got so many friends that care about you and nothing can ever change that. It is their love that will allow you to get back on your feet again."

"Yeah," Ruby nodded.

Sigrid expression however was completely emotionless and unreadable.

* * *

Meanwhile at the Grand Temple, Byro and the _Legion Platoon_ , minus Valyya were facing High Priest Vex.

"Please let me through, your Eminence," Byro pleaded. "I beg of you, I must speak with the Archon immediately."

"I'm sorry Lord Byro, but I'm afraid I cannot allow you to do see him," said Vex. "Only I, Vex, are permitted to meet with the Archon at the moment. Rest assured I will your message."

"But we're running out of time by the second," said Byro. "The Infinity Clock has been taken by the _Oración Seis_. The Archon must be—"

"The Archon is already well aware of the situation," said Vex. "There is no need for you to panic."

"So he knows everything," said Viggo looking sceptical.

"Isn't that surprise," Ryker grumbled.

"I don't know if I can trust him," said Windshear.

Daan looked at Vex and got an uneasy feeling about him. "Well, I know I don't. I hate guys like him you can never tell what they are thinking."

"I've heard that he's an influential man from a local parish," said Windshear. "The Archon hand-picked to assist him. However, that information doesn't set me at ease."

"Does he have anything to say about the matter?" Byro asked looking quite frustrated.

"Yes, in fact he has stated that he has a new task for the _Legion Platoon_ ," said Vex.

Byro had a strange feeling that he was not going to like the mission.

* * *

Meanwhile Valyya had been imprisoned in the Grand Temple's prisons for her actions against the _Legion Platoon_.

"Ruby, I'm so scared," she said looking at the bandage that Ruby used to wrap around her leg.

She then began crying and then heard footsteps as Vex approached her cell.

"Valyya," he said with his back towards her. "Traitor of the _Legion Platoon_."

"Eminence," said she gasped.

"I'm told that you turned your back on our doctrine despite being the _Legion Platoon_ member. Are you prepared for what awaits you?" he asked.

"Punish me all you want, go ahead," she said. "I don't regret what I did at all."

Then suddenly she had the time of the Infinity Clock and stood up and rushed over to the bars of her cell.

"What is that sound?" she asked.

* * *

The sound could be heard all across the land and people began to panic.

"The Infinity Clock," said Ruby as she and the others stood on the deck of the _Christina Advance_.

"It's ringing somewhere out there," said Hiccup.


	16. Get the Infinity Clock!

Meanwhile in an unknown location the _Neo-Oración Seis_ were looking at the Infinity Clock.

"The Infinity Clock is in our possession," said Brain. "And very soon the attitude emitted will be released."

"Then let's finish up and get this thing started," said Nexus.

"More destruction, the end of everything," Racer laughed.

"The end is coming just one more piece of the puzzle and we can open up the gates of Helheim," said Cobra.

"It's a weak," said Dagur. "The gathering storm of carnage is far too weak."

"Yes, the Infinity Clock lacks a crucial component," said Brain. "If great power is what we truly desire, there is a great price to be paid. We must make the proper sacrifice we can all attest to that fact. Go for, we'll move the hands of time forcing them onward until this world is history!"

* * *

Soon everyone managed to return to the Guildhall and explained the situation to everyone.

"The _Oración Seis_ ," said Gobber. "I was hoping that I would never hear that name again."

"That is why Stoick was summoned by the Viking Lords," Valka explained.

"I can see why, our guild was responsible for the members arrests following the _Nirvana_ incident," said Hiccup. "And now it appears they have escaped from prison."

"While we were asleep of those seven years they got a lot stronger," said Ragnar grimly.

"We were so utterly hopeless against them than last time," said Stormfly.

"I couldn't do a single thing to help," said Gustav. "I'm too weak!"

"Sorry, I'm the one to blame for all this," said Sigrid apologetically.

"Please don't be so hard on yourself, Sigrid," said Ruby comforting her. "Don't you remember what Hiccup said before? My Dad dumped all this crazy stuff on us and expected us to figure it out without any explanation."

"Do you even know how your father managed to get himself involved in all this business with the Infinity Clock in the first place?" Merrill asked.

"No clue, unfortunately."

"We can figure that out later," said Astrid. "Right now we need to focus on locating the members of the _Oración Seis_ and from there recover the Infinity Clock."

"The only problem is we don no idea where they are or what their next move is going to be," said Hiccup folding his arms.

"Hiccup's right, we need a plan first," Ragnar nodded.

"Everyone is really on it," Merrill noted.

"How do you expect them to feel? We don't know what to do," said Stormfly.

"And were still missing some key players," Astrid added.

"Yeah, Gildarts and Phlegma haven't come back from their mission yet," said Wartihog.

"In times like these we need strength every single person in this Guild," said Hiccup.

"Yo, what's going on?" said Dogsbreath's voice. Everyone turned and saw the _Thunder Legion_ standing there at the doorway. "The _Thunder Legion_ has returned victorious."

"Of course it really wasn't such a struggle for a team as good as ours," said Rubbella. "These jobs can be such easy payday sometimes it's almost criminal."

Fenris then noticed the blank looks on everyone's faces. "Excuse me, but is there a problem here?"

* * *

Soon everyone brought the _Thunder Legion_ up to speed.

"Okay, so something called the Infinity Clock is counting down to the end of the world," said Dogsbreath. "I swear we believe a couple of days and things go downhill fast."

"My what unfortunate timing," said Rubbella. "Had we still been here I'm sure we could have easily dispatched the _Oración Seis_ without much of a fuss."

"Actually, while we were on our mission," said Fenris and everyone turned to him. "I was at the marketplace, getting ingredients for our next meal. While I was there I overheard some soldiers talking about the destruction of temples in Newtoon. Two suspects were spotted fleeing the scene, a hooded man who carried a large scythe and his accomplice who possessed incredible speed."

"I can think of two people who fit that description perfectly," said Toothless.

Hiccup nodded. "Dagur and Racer."

"Except now he calls himself the Grim Reaper," said Toothless.

"From what I could gather the attacks on temples have suddenly intensified in the past several days," said Fenris.

Dogsbreath looked at him. "I don't understand why you never told me or Rubbella about any of this stuff."

Fenris rolled his eyes. "I told you over dinner that same night. I can only assume that you are too enraptured by my cooking to pay very close attention."

Dogsbreath and Rubbella suddenly looked embarrassed by this.

"But why target temples?" Astrid frowned. "I still don't see any clear motive for it."

"All I know is ever since the _Oración Seis_ got their grubby little hands on Infinity Clock things have gotten a whole lot worse," said Ruby.

* * *

Meanwhile the _Oración Seis_ , minus Brain, standing at the cliffside in the dead of night overlooking a valley.

"I can hear them," said Cobra. "There are four temples in this area. The priests have already been taken away and the guards don't have a clue of what's really going on."

"It sounds like this is the ideal time to attack," said Nexus.

"Oh yes," said Racer looking quite hungry. "Carnage! Destruction!"

"I still don't see why we're standing around talking about it," said Valkyrie. "When we would rather have as much fun as we did yesterday."

"What fun?" Grim Reaper asked. "I can't seem to remember anything that happened to us yesterday."

"It's not necessary for you to remember," said Valkyrie. "Just do as we tell you and nothing more."

"I see," said Grim Reaper with a blank expression. "I will carry out the instructions that I am given."

"We've wasted too much time already," said Cobra. "Let's move."

* * *

The guards stationed at one of the temples in the area then heard a massive explosion and saw that the temple had been set ablaze. They turned and saw both Cobra and Valkyrie standing there.

"It's the _Oración Seis_ ," said one of the guards.

"Now men we must defend the temple!" the captain ordered.

"For these wretched and miserable souls, _Cost 20_ ," said Valkyrie and tossed to coins into the air. "Bow and tremble before a Valkyries's glow!"

Suddenly emerging before them was a large Valkyrie holding a massive hammer in her hands towered before the soldiers. She then quickly annihilated them before they had a chance to run and Cobra started to make his way into the temple without any resistance.

Using his excellent hearing he could hear the breathing of a single man beneath the temple frame before an altar. Around the man was a magic circle no doubt hiding his presence from everyone else.

" _Concealment Magic_ , huh?" he said with a smile. Then suddenly unleashed a powerful sonic blast upon the temple causing it to crumble. "What a pathetic little trick!"

The entire town was soon covered in smoke hiding it from you and standing in the rubble of the temple were both Cobra and Valkyrie.

"How unsophisticated," said Valkyrie.

"Maybe so, but our job here is done," said Cobra. "What about the Anti-Link?"

"That's been done as well," said Valkyrie a small smile then appeared on her face. "Our Cobra so cold and direct, but there was at the two things I admire most about you."

"She's all I cared about," said Cobra he then looked at his hand. "But she's gone, pulled from my hands and all I have now is nothing."

"Nothing but delicious power that is," said Valkyrie.

"Power from misery, the sorrow that consumes my soul is the only thing still driving me forward. The pain can only end when the world itself ends, there is no other way."

"Yes," Valkyrie nodded. "We must take our strength from where ever we can until our ultimate goal has been reached. Our failures and directs, all those years of suffering we endure. Those are the very things that define within the _Oración Seis_."

* * *

Meanwhile back at the Guildhall Brila suddenly awoke with a blank expression on her face. She then made her way downstairs and everyone stared at her.

"Brila?" Gobber blinked.

"Hold on, you're in no shape to be walking around," said Spitelout.

Brila kept on walking without even acknowledging their presence.

"What's wrong?" Ruby asked looking quite worried. "Do you need some help?"

Brila didn't answer and then grabbed a fork from one of the tables.

"You better get back in bed and rest," said Gobber.

"That strange look in her eyes," said Sigrid.

Ruby nodded.

"We've wasted too much time already," said Brila as if she was in some sort of trance. She then made her way to the nearest wall. "Let's move."

She then began to carve something into the wall with the fork and Fishlegs and will be approached her as she kept on muttering to herself.

"Hold on, Brila," said Fishlegs.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Ruby asked.

"It is the only thing still driving me forward," said Brila.

"Brila, stop!" Sigrid pleaded as she and everyone else gathered around her.

"When the world itself ends."

* * *

Meanwhile at the Grand Temple, the _Legion Platoon_ were on their knees in front of High Priest Vex.

"My Lord, the _Legion Platoon_ is here as you requested," said Byro.

"I've summoned you here for but one reason," said Vex. "To inform you that your power will be considerably greater as of today."

"You mean we'll be getting couple new members?" Viggo asked curiously.

"Yes," Vex nodded. "The Archon himself has requested this addition. Just one member, hand-picked from extremely select group within the Temple of Thor's forbidden cell."

"What kind of person are we dealing with her?" Daan stared.

They then heard the sound of heavy footsteps down the corridor and so a large figure chained as before guards escorted him towards them. When he stepped out of the light their eyes widened, because their new member was an orc.

"An orc?" Byro stared.

The orc was wearing a pair of ragged trousers and an open shirt that had been torn. Around his neck was appended with the emblem of the Temple of Thor engraved on it.

"You've got to be kidding?" Daan stared.

"An orc joining the ranks of the _Temple of Thor's_ elite task force?" Viggo stared.

"Hello there, gang," said the orc. "Old Grat is here to play."

"Why could the Archon choose an orc to join _our_ ranks?" Viggo asked.

"I have no clue," said Byro looking deeply troubled.

"This guy is creepy," said Daan.

Grat made his way to the door frame but he proved to be far too large. He then unleashed a massive burst of magic that shattered not only his chains, but the door frame and sent the guards surrounding him flying.

"Nothing can hold me!" Grat roared.

"Grat is the master of Eruption Magic," said Byro. "His power is known throughout Septem, they call him Grat the Clear."

"Sorry, that was kind of rude of me," said Grat apologetically.

Byro turned to Vex looking outraged. "This _thing_ will be joining my beloved it _Legion Platoon_?"

"Indeed he is whether you like it or not," said Vex firmly.

Byro clearly disproved of this, but knew he had no choice as it was the will of the Archon.

* * *

Meanwhile Gildarts and Phlegma were making their way down towards the ruined village.

"Yep, this is one big farm all right," said Gildarts looking around. "Nothing but fields and pastures as far as the eye can see."

"The days of growing crops are over," said Phlegma. "They withered on the vine as much as those who once worked this land. It would be a distant memory that is if there was anyone else to remember." They made their way towards the ruined mansion. "Now, this one is just a state is nothing more than a window into the past."

"So long story short what you're saying is it's been awhile since anyone lived here," said Gildarts.

"This is the place where Sigrid grew up," said Phlegma. "The Lobster Clan plantation."

They continued making their way through the ruined farmland and made their way towards the nearby mountain area.

"Any idea what will find?" Gildarts asked.

"No clue, but hopefully something that might explain this," said Phlegma.

* * *

Meanwhile at the Grand Temple, Byro and his _Legion Platoon_ , now with Grat as part of their group, were kneeling before Vex.

"The _Oración Seis_ were the ones behind the temple attacks, are you absolutely sure that your Eminence?" Byro asked.

"I am," said Vex. "And although the ultimate objective remains a mystery to us, it is fair to assume these blasphemous acts will continue."

Byro was very troubled by this.

Daan then looked up. "Uh… If you don't mind me asking a small favour."

Byro quickly turned on him. "Daan," he warned.

"You have a request?" Vex asked. "Please share."

"If we are able to stop the _Oración Seis_ , in return will you release Valyya out of jail?" Daan asked.

"We know going against the temple's doctrine is absolutely appalled, but Valyya has been part of the _Temple of Thor_ her whole life, the temple has practically raised the despite her being an elf," said Viggo. "If you can forgive her I know that she would be a strong asset to the Archon."

"We may consider it," said Vex. "But that decision hinges upon you leading this mission."

"You'll be fine with me around," said Grat. "I'll prove I can be useful to you and your cause so there is no need to worry so long as I'm around."

Daan glared. "Don't talk to us like we're children, would you?

A guard then approached Vex. "Your Eminence," he said and whispered something into his ear.

Vex nodded and looked at the _Legion Platoon_. "If you excuse me am afraid something rather urgent has come up."

They then watched as he left.

* * *

In the courtyard of the Grand Temple was Alistair waiting for someone from the temple to approach him.

"I apologise for the wait," said Vex.

Alistair looked up at the steps and saw Vex looking down at him. "High Priest Vex."

"You're with the Viking Council Honour Guard aren't you?" Vex asked. "What can I do with you today?"

Alistair began making his way up the steps. "This matter concerns members of the _Oración Seis_. Namely those who we had in custody until recently, I'm sure word of their escape has reached you."

Vex just stood there looking down at him with an emotionless look on his face.

"There is one small point of fact I like to confirm," Alistair continued. "While they were incarcerated, it seems a certain individual from your organisation pay them visits on a somewhat regular basis. It is possible that he was connected to the breakout."

Vex glared at him. "I won't stand for such baseless accusations!"

Alistair was taken aback by this comment.

"The breakout was solely the Council's blunder. Placing blame on our sacred institution is an outrage, the very thought of it is offensive." He then looked down at Alistair. "You're on dangerous ground, failure to tread lightly here could lead to serious repercussions."

Alistair was then ordered to leave immediately and unable to do anything else he left the grand Temple. Before he left he looked at him one last time and knew that something was unsettling was happening inside the temple is very walls. The high priest attitude for one made it clear that something sinister was afoot. If he was going to solve this mystery he was going to need some help from an old friend.

* * *

Meanwhile at the _Dragon Tail_ Guild, Brila had finished carving and then painted leaving everyone quite perplexed.

"What does all this mean?" Wartihog frowned.

"Does anyone know what the writing says?" Merrill asked looking at the engravings on the wall.

"Her mumbling did strike me as particularly ominous," said Stormfly.

"Peace to the puzzle…" Brila muttered as if she was having a nightmare. "Then we can open up the gates of Helheim."

"Do you think maybe she's finally remembering something from her past?" Ruby asked.

"Yeah maybe," said Wartihog as Spitelout carried Brila upstairs. "Now that you mention it seems like it was bothering her a lot lately."

Fishlegs leaned over towards the carvings.

"Before she came to _Dragon Tail_ , Brila was under some kind of curse," Ruby explained to Sigrid.

"Poor thing," said Sigrid as she watched Spitelout making his way upstairs with Brila in her arms.

"Hey, this is Ancient Norse," said Fishlegs looking up from the carvings.

"Just like the clock hand?" Gobber frowned.

"How strange," said Fenris reading the engravings. "It appears to be a description of the man named Wilhelm the Curator."

Ruby looked up. "Are you serious?"

"He's the author of _Key of the Starry Heavens_ ," said Astrid.

"It seems as if the plot thickens," said Hiccup.

Fishlegs looked at the writing more closely. "All right, this is a pretty rough translation, but it says 'Wilhelm the Curator was once a great Viking, who may contract with many Celestial Spirits and was remarkably skilled in using them _._ '"

"'Contract with Celestial Spirits?'" said Toothless looking up.

"So he was an author and a _Celestial Viking_ to boot, interesting," said Ragnar.

"And it goes on to say, 'In life Wilhelm the Curator had numerous followers. However, after he fell into his eternal slumber his pupils scattered in all directions to places unknown.'"

Ruby's eyes widened and quickly brought out a book.

"What's that for?" Hiccup asked.

"I think if can help us," said Ruby. "It's a biographical encyclopaedia. Let's say." She then began looking through all the names until she found Wilhelm the Curator. "Here it is, Wilhelm the Curator, an author and a High Priest of the Temple of Thor."

"So he was a disciple from the Temple of Thor," said Hiccup.

"And had a very high position," said Astrid.

Ruby continue to look through the encyclopaedia. "Uh, according to this he was a very dedicated and prominent member of the Temple. He was also the most extensive research on the Temple of Thor history. That is until the day he suddenly left the church and went missing for quite a long time."

"Doesn't explain why he left?" Rubbella asked.

"No it doesn't," Ruby sighed. "But apparently several years after he disappeared, he remerged into the public eye has Wilhelm the Curator the author of children literature. But there's no mention of him being a _Celestial Viking_ here or that he had any kind of following."

"This whole thing is freaking me out," said Wartihog rubbing the back of his head. "I don't understand how Brila would know about stuff that's not in the encyclopaedia."

"More importantly how did she know how to write in Ancient Norse?" Toothless asked.

"I remember the Captain of the _Legion Platoon_ said that the Infinity Clock was the property of the Temple of Thor," said Stormfly.

"And a prominent former member of that Temple also wrote the _Key to the Starry Heavens_ ," Sigrid added looking at Ruby. "The book your father used to pass on his message about how to find the clock pieces."

"We keep on searching for answers and get more questions," Hiccup sighed. "We need to figure out where the _Oración Seis_ are going to strike next that we can create an ambush."

Agatha then yawned and woke up. "Would you keep it down?" she asked. "I'm trying to get my beauty sleep."

"You've practically been asleep all day," Gobber pointed out.

Agatha began brushing the tiredness out of her eyes. "Yeah, but I just can't seem to wake up for some reason you know." She then brought out a deck of cards with pictures of their faces on them. "Now then, do you boys and girls want to find the _Oración Seis_ or what?"

Astrid looked up. "That's right, you can use your Fortune Telling."

"Oh, you bet I can," Agatha smiled.

* * *

Meanwhile several guards were attempting to stop the _Neo-Oración Seis_ , but all their attempts were completely useless. At the moment they were battling against Nexus and Grim Reaper.

"Don't give up your ground men!" said the captain. "Archers release!"

The archers then fired a volley of arrows, but they were easily stopped by Racer, who grabbed each and every one of them.

"To slow," said Racer. "Way too slow."

The guards just stared in horror as they realise they were completely outmatched.

"The storms grow stronger now as lightning rip through the clouds!" Grim Reaper yelled as he sent a burst of lightning directly at the guards.

"Let's see how you deal with this," said Nexus as he fired a bolt of lightning from the palm of his hands.

Cobra and Valkyrie were still in the ruins of the temple they attacked.

"It's silent," said Cobra. "There are no more vessels to be found in this part of the country."

"Time is running out, very quickly," said Valkyrie. "And we will do whatever we can to speed it forward."

"I be willing to do more if they would bring her back to me."

"Now, now, Cobra. You mustn't forget that our orders come first."

* * *

Meanwhile at _Dragon Tail_ Guild, Agatha was standing in front of a map of the Septem.

"There we go, all set," said Gustav. He then looked at her. "You think that's going to work for ya?"

Agatha smiled at him. "It's perfect. Now I'll divine where the _Oración Seis_ will attack next and which of us are going to throw a nice little surprise party."

Everyone watched as she brought the deck of cards close to her forehead. She then opened her eyes and tossed the card at the map. "I see it!"

The cards then impaled themselves on different areas of the map so in groups of two, three or four.

"So that's all it takes, huh," said Dogsbreath.

Agatha nodded. "That's it, if we send these teams to these locations we can stop the attacks and save some lives."

"So who is working with who?" Hiccup asked as Gobber retrieve the cards.

"Without further ado, the first is a two-man team composed of Ragnar and Fenris," said Gobber holding up the first group of cards.

"How interesting," said Fenris. "I often wondered if our magic styles might comprehend each other."

"I have to admit I've been wondering that myself," said Ragnar. "You're _Enchantments_ and my _Ice-Maker Magic_ could make a pretty awesome combination."

"Next up we got Astrid and Rubbella," said Gobber.

"Let's just hope they'll be able to get along for once," said Gustav.

"Yeah, Rubella has always treated Astrid like some kind of competition," said Spitelout.

"Oh, you too Wartihog," said Gobber.

Wartihog's eyes widened. "I'm on their team?"

Astrid and Rubbella immediately glared at one another.

"This is fabulous," said Rubbella. "Now we can finally settle the matter once and for all. We'll see whose worthy of Queen of the Valkyrie title."

"The goal of our mission is to track down the _Oración Seis_ , but I'll gladly take on any time after that," said Astrid.

"Now ladies remember we have to work together as a team," said Wartihog placing himself between the two of them. "Let's try our best to get along okay."

"The next team is Eret and Heather," said Gobber.

"Both ex-Phantom Lord Guild members working on the same team," Fishlegs blinked.

"It'll be nice to fight together as a team again," said Heather looking at Eret.

"I was thinking the same thing," Eret smiled.

"Next up Dogsbreath and Merrill," said Gobber.

"All right, little lady, this is going to be a real blast, huh," said Dogsbreath. "I am psyched!"

Merrill was slightly uneasy. "Yeah, I look forward with working with you. We'll be a great team."

"Sweet! Don't forget that my baby will be on the team with us!" Dogsbreath cried excitedly.

Dogsbreath dolls then appeared which made Merrill even more nervous.

"All right, this one's got Toothless, Stormfly Skullcrusher and Cloudjumper," said Gobber.

"Looks like the Exceed Squad is back in action," said Toothless.

"This will certainly be interesting," said Stormfly.

"And for the last team it's Hiccup, Ruby, Snotlout and Sigrid," said Gobber looking through the last cards.

"Then let's do this," said Hiccup.

"This is great, we're together!" said Sigrid happily.

Ruby nodded. "I can't have picked a better teammate than you."

"And that's all," said Gobber.

"Ah, man I wish I was going with you guys," said Gustav looking at Hiccup.

"I'm slightly troubled with some of the team," said Heather approaching Agatha. "I mean teaming up Astrid and Rubbella together is asking for trouble and Merrill and Dogsbreath are practically polar opposite to each other."

"Not to mention me and Snotlout haven't always seen eye to eye," Hiccup added.

"You know I don't think I can even remember a time you and I haven't on a team together Hiccup," said Toothless.

"My Divination Magic told me this was the best parent for the mission you have been given," said Agatha.

* * *

Meanwhile Valyya was still in her prison cell and she was sharing it with a Priest.

"Really?" Valyya blinked as the Priests finished his story. "So you're a survivor from one of those horrible Temples attacks."

"Yes, and soon after that I went into hiding for while," he explained. "But then they found me and put me in this prison cell."

Valyya frowned. "I don't understand why you were imprisoned after what you've been through."

"I was in their crosshairs for two reasons. First: because I'm the parish priest and second: I refuse to tell High Priest Vex what he wants to know. So you interrogate me or silence me."

"But what you mean by that?"

She then heard footsteps and saw Vex approaching the cell.

"You filthy traitor at last we finally meet," he said glaring at the priest.

The priest got to his feet. "You're Eminence."

"You'd be wise to tell me, the names of Wilhelm's the Curator's followers," said Vex.

The priest merely backed away from him and then Vex extended his hands on the bars began to part allowing him to enter the cell. The priest then started to back away in fear.

"This is the fate that befalls of those who dare defy the Temple of Thor," said Vex with a mad look in his eye. He then looked at Valyya. "No, to those that dare defy me. So pay attention."

Valyya quickly looked away and then heard the screams from the priest and the cracking of bones.

* * *

Hiccup was leading his group to the location that Agatha had provided.

"As far as Fortune-Telling goes, Agatha is the best there is," said Ruby. "She's almost always dead on."

When they reached the temple they saw standing there were both Nexus and Byro.


	17. Dissonance of Battle

Alistair was making his way through a small village which was covered in snow and made his way to local tavern. This was where his friend resided for the past seven years and once inside he saw Alron Windwalker leaning over the bar with a tankard of meat in his hand with several guards laughing at him.

"You make me sick," said one of them. "The countries in a state of emergency and you just stinking drunk?"

"What do you expect from Truearrow?" said another. "He's got a reputation to uphold, biggest Booze Hound in town."

"Man, he's got it easy doesn't he? Getting taint to the gills while we are out there risking our lives for justice."

"Justice?" said Alron lifting his head.

"You heard him. The _Oración Seis'_ are back and we're fighting with all we've got to try and stop them."

Alron then stood up.

"We're working hard to save the life of citizens every single day. You have a sense of right and wrong or did you drink it all away?"

Alron have enough of them and then hit the guard with his tankard.

"I don't want to hear about it!" Alron glared. "So leave me alone."

"What's wrong with you?" one of the guards glared.

"You made a big mistake by attacking a Septem soldier!"

Alron then disappeared and reappeared behind the soldier and then hit him across the head with the tankard. He then did the same with a second guard and was about to do to the last guard when Alistair grabbed his arm.

"You've gotten rusty, Alron," said Alistair. He then looked at the drunken elf. "You can't win. So stop this."

Alron knocked his hand away. "My name is Garon, the Legendary Traitor Garon Truearrow."

"You still insist on using that name?" Alistair sighed. He then placed a hand on his shoulder. "No matter, we need to talk. Come with me."

* * *

Reluctantly Alron followed Alistair to the cliff that overlooks the village.

"So now you're odds ends with justice? What happened to you?" Alistair asked.

"To me?" said Alron without looking at him. "Or to them? To Merrill. I abandoned them like a coward. Would you call that justice?"

"You can't change the past, the future is a different story." Alron then looked at him. "Listen I didn't come all this way to catch up. Septem need your help."

Alron rolled his eyes. "Yeah, real funny."

"I'm being deadly serious, Alron," said Alistair. "I'm begging you to help me. Will you do it?"

"Let's get one thing straight I don't answer to the name Alron I'm Garon," said Alron as he walked off.

"Well, Garon, why don't you sober up, okay?" Alistair suggested.

Alron said nothing and continue to walk through the snow.

* * *

Meanwhile Hiccup and Snotlout were facing against Nexus.

"I'm gonna turn you into uncle scrap, Tin Man," Snotlout growled.

Hiccup looked up at Byro, who was watching them from the cliffs. "I wonder why he's just standing around? If anyone was going to protect the temples, it should be him."

"I think your priority should be me right now," said Nexus.

Hiccup then unleashed his breath attack and Snotlout formed Black Bull beast arm and charged at Nexus.

"Let's cool you down!" said Nexus and fire and ice being directly at Hiccup's breath attack.

The collision of ice and fire created steam that hit everyone from view.

"I can't say!" Snotlout yelled.

He then attacked Hiccup, thinking that he was Nexus,

"Watch what you are hitting!" Hiccup yelled.

"Well don't get in my way!" Snotlout yelled back.

"We can't be like this," said Ruby as he pulled out Cancer's key. "We have to start working together to take this guy down with some serious teamwork."

"I agree," said Hiccup.

"I think I can do better on my own, but I'll join you for now," said Snotlout.

"Cancer will you lend us a hand," said Ruby summoning Cancer.

Cancer soon appeared in front of and snapped his pincers. "I'm on it, baby," he said charging towards Nexus.

"Just try and keep up!" Snotlout yelled charging as well.

" _Fire Dragon's Plasma Blade!_ " Hiccup yelled as he drew _Inferno_ and flames covered it from head to toe.

"Let's put a stop to that," said Nexus as he guarded against Hiccup's attack with his forearm.

He then grabbed Hiccup's leg and use them as a human shield against Snotlout. Then he got a devastating kick that Snotlout causing him to hit into Cancer and then tossed the now stunned Hiccup at them.

"That went wrong," said Ruby.

Snotlout and Cancer pulled themselves up and Snotlout immediately glared at the Celestial Spirit.

"What are you looking at?" he snapped.

"Just wondering if you attack your teammates on a regular basis," Cancer grumbled.

"Hiccup got in my way!" Snotlout yelled defensively.

"Will you guys please start fighting?" Hiccup yelled. "In case you've forgotten he's the enemy!"

Sigrid looked at Ruby. "They don't seem to be a good match to me."

"I know," Ruby frowned in confusion. "But Agatha used her powers to create these teams. They're supposed to work well together and be perfect for their destinations. She's usually right on about these kind of things."

* * *

Meanwhile Wartihog felt as if he was refereeing a wrestling match. Astrid and Rubbella were not getting along in the slightest and he was stuck as referee.

"This is supposed to be teamwork?" Wartihog grumbled.

They were at the moment climbing a steep mountain and Rubbella wasn't wearing the ideal footwork for such a trip and was complaining to know when.

"Come on! Slow down!" she complained. "My feet are killing me!"

"Maybe you should have won high heels for mountain climbing," Wartihog suggested.

"Sorry, Wartihog, but I am a fairy after all," said Rubbella.

Wartihog rolled his eyes. "What the heck does that mean?"

Rubbella continued to yell in pain as they climbed.

"Be quiet and walk!" Astrid snapped.

"Please forgive me Queen Astrid, I thought I might get away with some sympathy for my teammates, but obviously my pain just annoys you!" Rubbella snapped back.

"You seem to have plenty of energy," Astrid grumbled. "Instead of wasting it on a hissy fit how about you just keep moving!"

Rubbella then came to a stop and fluttered her fan. "Well, I never. She just doesn't understand the concept of being strong and ladylike. Honestly I don't know what Hiccup's sees in her."

Astrid then came to a sudden stop and then glared at her. "What was that? Say it again?"

"Oh, never mind," said Rubbella innocently.

"Ah, man," Wartihog groaned. "This trip sucks big time. Why do I have to be on a team with these two harpies?"

* * *

At _Dragon Tail_ , Agatha was looking down at the team cards she had put together.

"I really did a first late job," she said proudly.

"I wouldn't be so sure," said Fishlegs.

"What you mean by that?" Agatha glared.

* * *

Meanwhile Hiccup and his team was still battling against Nexus. Unfortunately the match was very one-sided due to the fact they were tripping on each other's feet.

"Take a taste of lightning!" he yelled firing a lightning bolt from the palm of his hands.

The lightning struck them knocking them to the ground.

Sigrid pulled herself up and saw Ruby lying there. "Oh no, Ruby! Are you okay?"

"Not really," Ruby groaned. "But I suppose it could have been a whole lot worse."

"What more?" said Nexus. "You haven't seen how deadly I've become. You are pathetic, unlike me you are not a perfect machine. I'm surprised you still function with the way that you fight."

"I'm getting sick of hearing you," Snotlout glared as he entered Hiccup pick themselves up.

"Snotlout, we have to figure out a plan of attack," said Hiccup.

"I've got one," he then charged at Nexus and summoned his beast arm. "We kick his butt."

"Snotlout that's not a plan!" Hiccup yelled.

Nexus quickly blocked the attack with just one hand and then punched him hard in the gut. He then tossed Snotlout right into Cancer just as he charged towards him.

"You're making this far too easy," said Nexus.

"Snotlout, we can't just keep on charging in we need an actual plan!" Hiccup yelled.

Nexus then fired a barrage of missiles that knocked them back even further.

"That hurt," Ruby groaned.

"Teamwork is important, but am afraid right now it's every Viking him or herself," said Sigrid.

* * *

Meanwhile Toothless and his team were in the middle of a forest.

"Are you sure these are the right coordinates?" Toothless asked looking at Stormfly.

"I'm positive," said Stormfly.

"Then how come there's no one here?" Cloudjumper asked.

"No clue," Stromfly moaned.

"This does not bode well," said Skullcrusher.

"It certainly doesn't," said a voice.

They quickly turned and saw Windshear looking down at them from a small hill.

"It's Windshear," said Toothless.

"So that's her, huh," said Cloudjumper.

"Greetings, to the three of you," she said and then turned to Cloudjumper. "You must be Cloudjumper, the one that is teaching Toothless hand-to-hand combat."

"What I am?" Cloudjumper frowned.

"Just an observation," she said.

* * *

Meanwhile Byro was still looking down from the cliff and storm clouds were beginning to form soon began to rain.

"When will you learn that you stand no chance against me?" said Nexus.

"Here he comes again," said Snotlout.

Ruby then felt the drops hitting her head. "It's raining?" She then turned to a puddle. "That gives me an idea."

She then pulled out Aquarius is key. " _Open! Gate of Water Bearer! Aquarius_!"

Suddenly emerging from the water was Aquarius.

"You better have a good reason for this," Aquarius glared. "How many times do I have to tell you not to pull me out of some mud filled hole in the ground, because I really don't like it!"

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that," said Ruby she then pointed at Nexus. "But if you're looking to blame someone it's that creepy robot!"

Aquarius rolled her eyes. "Why is it every time I'm on a date you have some crisis you can't handle. Jealous much?"

Ruby groaned. "Give me a break."

"Well, since I'm here let's get this over with!" she roared and fired water from her urn.

"I'm going to beat you to a pulp!" Snotlout roared.

"Snotlout, wait!" Hiccup yelled.

"I don't think so," said Nexus and suddenly formed an energy shield.

The water from Aquarius is attacked then suddenly hit the sheer was deflected towards Snotlout. The water slammed into him sending him flying into Hiccup and then into Aquarius.

"This is just pitiful," said Nexus.

"I keep telling you we need a plan of attack," said Hiccup glaring at Snotlout.

"At least I'm doing something!" Snotlout yelled.

"Will both of you just shut up!" Aquarius yelled hitting the two of them with her urn.

"Now this is just getting embarrassing," Ruby groaned.

"The two of them can't seem to work together at all," said Sigrid.

* * *

Meanwhile standing in front of a tree was a young elven girl holding a small dog in her hands.

"I'm afraid we're reaching the end of our journey," she said. "Hey, Nico, how much longer do you think this tree is going to live?"

The dog just barked.

Suddenly approaching her was a priest from the nearby temple.

"Miss Melolva!" he yelled. "What in the world are you doing out here?"

"I was just looking at this tree," she said.

"It's far too dangerous for you to be outside here on your own like this," said the priest. "Haven't you heard about what's going on?"

"Of course I've heard, I know there aren't many left."

"That's true. So…"

"That's why I came out," she said still looking at the tree. "In the hopes that this tree might remember me. Just stay hope."

The dog then barked.

"Miss Melolva, I'm sorry to tell you that for Priest Mason was discovered and taken away," said the priest regretfully.

"He was? Then it's very likely that I will be next." She then looked down at the dog in her arms. "If you get scared you can always run away, okay."

The dog barked.

* * *

Meanwhile Eret and Heather were making their way to their location.

"It's nice to be working together again," said Eret.

"It has been a long time, I just hope were not rusty," said Heather.

Eret then smirked slightly. "So what's going on between you and Ragnar?"

Heather immediately blushed. "I-I don't know what you mean?"

Eret rolled his eyes. "Come on, I know that you have your eyes on him. I've no you long enough to know that look."

"I don't even know if he likes me," said Heather, her face completely pink.

"I think it's quite obvious that he does like you," said Eret shaking his head.

Heather then quickly marched forward. "Let's just focus on the mission at hand."

Eret chuckled to himself. "Yep, she definitely liked him."

* * *

Meanwhile Merrill and Dogsbreath had reached their location the outskirts of the farm and were making their way up the nearby mountain area.

"How are you doing Merrill?" Dogsbreath asked.

"I'm hanging in there," said Merrill.

"We're getting pretty close, it's just over this mountain pass."

"That's great!" she cried excitedly.

Then suddenly out of nowhere storm clouds began to form above them much to their confusion.

"Well, that's weird," said Dogsbreath in confusion.

"A thunderstorm?" Merrill blinked.

"I always heard that mountain weather was unpredictable." Suddenly a large gush of water struck them out of nowhere. "What the—this storm just came out of nowhere?"

"What was the weather like yesterday?" a voice asked. "I can't remember."

The two of them looked up and saw Grim Reaper sitting on some rocks.

"It's that guy who calls himself, Grim Reaper," said Dogsbreath. "He's like one big walking black cloud."

"He used to be called Dagur, he was the Master of the Dark Guild _Mad Berserker_ ," said Merrill.

"Those names mean nothing to me now," said Grim Reaper looking down at them. "I don't know Dagur or _Mad Berserker_."

"Come on, give me a break man," said Dogsbreath in disbelief. "You've got to have the world's worst memory."

"Maybe," said Grim Repaer as he raised his scythe. "But I do know what's coming next. _Cloudbursts from above!_ "

Suddenly a massive burst of wind shot up in the clouds above them, but they were able to dodge the attack. It was a good thing they did, because the wind created a massive hole in the stone ground.

Grim Reaper then swung his scythe. " _And tornadoes ripping through the air!_ "

A massive tornado then headed straight towards them, but Dogsbreath was able to block the attack with his dolls. However, it caused the dolls to be scattered all across the field.

"I can create weather patterns that define the very laws of nature and destroy pesky little flies like you," said Grim Reaper.

"What you say?" Dogsbreath glared.

"Don't worry, Dogsbreath, I can support you," said Merrill as he outstretched arms.

Dogsbreath then suddenly felt power rushing into his body as a green aura covered his body. A few seconds later a light blue aura covered Merrill as she strengthened herself.

Dogsbreath then looked up at Grim Reaper. "Listen up you windbag, we ain't no flies!" The two of them then jumped into the air and headed straight towards him. "We're _Dragon Tail_ Vikings that are going to kick your butt."

" _Powerful gusts from below!_ " Grim Reaper chanted as he lifted his scythe once again.

Suddenly both Dogsbreath and Merrill were hit by a powerful gust of wind. Grim Reaper then swung his scythe down and seconds later they were sent flying and slammed right into a boulder.

"What's the matter?" Grim Reaper asked. "Are you nothing but talk?"

"Damn it," Dogsbreath cursed.

"I can heal you," said Merrill looking up at him.

"There's not enough time," said Dogsbreath.

Suddenly storm clouds began to form around them as Grim Reaper raised his scythe in the air.

"Uh-oh," said Dogsbreath.

" _Dragon Tail_ , I don't know it. However, I do know that dark skies are coming," said Grim Reaper as lightning fired around in all directions. Merrill and Dogsbreath prepare themselves for the worst. " _A violent thunderstorm, raining down from above!_ "

Suddenly he unleashed a massive tornado of lightning and wind directly at them.

Stand back, I can stop it," said Merrill placing herself between the attack and Dogsbreath. " _Sea Dragon's Roar!_ "

She then unleashed a breath attack upon Grim Reaper's attack and the two attacks collided.

Dogsbreath then uses Figure Eyes in order to read Grim Reaper's soul, but saw nothing.

"I don't understand this guy is like he's soulless," said Dogsbreath.

" _Followed by lightning, directly behind you!_ " Grim Reaper chanted.

Lightning then headed straight towards them and Dogsbreath barely had time to create a barrier to block the attack. The attack was so fierce that his dolls collapsed to the ground smouldering.

"To slow, pal," Dogsbreath smirked. Merrill looked up and saw more dolls floating around Grim Reaper. "I only moved their souls into different dolls. So now you're going to get it! _Point-Blank Barrier Formation!_ "

There was a massive explosion, but Grim Reaper dodged it by floating up into the air much to their surprise.

"No, he got away!" Merrill stared.

"What the heck?" Dogsbreath stared. "I didn't know he could fly."

Grim Reaper then landed back on the rocks. "Neither did I, it seems I had forgotten." He then looked at them with a blank expression. "Can you tell me who you people are again?"

"Seriously?" Dogsbreath stared.

"Did he actually forget that he was fighting against us?" Merrill blinked.

Grim Reaper then unleashed a powerful gust of wind straight towards them.

" _Sea Dragon's Tsunami Claw!_ " Merrill yelled and then unleashed a powerful burst of water directly at the wind.

"Are you really foolish enough to use _Water Magic_ against a man who can control the weather?" said Grim Reaper. He then outstretched his hand. "That's your last mistake!"

"Merrill you've got to get out of the way!" Dogsbreath yelled.

Too late, Grim Reaper had already used the wind to lift the cowl from a nearby farm.

"I can create a wind so powerful that nothing can withstand it!" said Grim Reaper.

Dogsbreath then pushed Merrill out of the way and then the cows landed on top of him.

"It's raining stinking cows!" he yelled.

Merrill pulled herself and looked at him apologetically. "I'm so sorry. It's my fault that you got hurt. Are you in the, Dogsbreath?"

Dogsbreath was somewhere in an entire mountain of cows and Merrill was concerned that it was squashed flat by them.

* * *

Meanwhile Toothless and the other Exceeds were looking at Windshear with curiosity.

"The Infinity Clock is been assembled and been taken by the _Oración Seis'_ ," said Skullcrusher.

"Yes they have it so what are your people going to do about now?" Stormfly asked folding her paws. "Do you have a plan?"

"I've made several calculations, but I'm afraid the situation has only grown exponentially more complex," said Windshear frowning slightly. "Alas, even I can't seem to comprehend it."

"I get it, you followed us because you needed help and because with fellow Exceeds," said Toothless.

Windshear nodded. "Yes, your assumption is correct. If things get any more out of hand I'm afraid the situation will become too much for humans, elves and dwarfs to sufficiently handle."

"So that's what you think now," said Cloudjumper sceptically. "I thought you said that the _Temple of Thor_ teachings were all that mattered to you."

"While I truly treasure our doctrine, adaptability is paramount to one survival," said Windshear. "It one of the first few things that Viggo taught me."

"Makes sense to me," said Skullcrusher.

"Okay, so what exactly do you need our help for?" Hiccup asked.

"Actually, it's Stormfly's help that I need," said Windshear. She then turned and looked at her. "Tell me, you possess the power of _Clairvoyance_. Have you sensed anything out of the ordinary?"

Stormfly frowned. "Hmm, I had several visions though none have been very clear. Their dark and ominous."

"Any that were related to the book? Think carefully?"

"A few, in fact they struck me as some sort of warning."

"The clock was never meant to be assembled. Apparently the pieces were originally guarded by the _Temple of Thor_ and now here we are facing an incomprehensible task that we must complete without fail."

"So you wanna know the future, is that it?" Skullcrusher asked.

"What is most unsettling to me is the possibility that the teachings of the _Temple of Thor_ are being twisted and used to commit atrocities," said Windshear grimly.

* * *

Heather and Eret finally reach their location and to their horror they saw a temple burning to the ground.

"It looks like we were too late on this one," said Eret.

"We have failed," said Heather.

Then emerging out of the flames was Viggo, who then collapsed.

"I don't understand," he said weakly. "This is not what we were meant to do. Why are we being forced to destroy temples? It doesn't make any sense!"

Then emerging from the flames was Grat much to the surprise of Heather and Eret.

"We were given this mission by his eminence," he said. "We are not supposed to question him, don't you know that?"

"An orc working for the _Temple of Thor_?" Eret stared.

"Those two aren't _Oración Seis'_ , there with the _Legion Platoon_ ," said Heather in confusion as Grat began to beat up Viggo.

Grat then looked up at them. "I spy some filthy Guild Vikings," he said.

"I'm surprised to see an orc working for the _Temple of Thor_ ," said Eret. "But I'm even more surprised that you guys are attacking temples."

"Is this infighting?" Heather stared.

"Valyya was right," said Viggo weakly. "We should have made our own decisions, but instead we had to kill the priests."

"His eminence speaks the words of the Archon. His words are sacred, their holy law," said Grat. "If he says we go and bust up a temple, we busted up. Don't forget that we are rewarded whenever we follow his words and we are punished whenever we don't."

"He's insane," said Eret.

Grat then kicked Viggo towards them.

"You dirty sinner, I'll just draw you!" Grat roared as he outstretched his hand.

Then suddenly green Magic Circle appeared around Viggo and then a massive surge of energy entered into him and they heard Viggo cries of pain. Heather and Eret barely had time to jump out of the way.

"What was that?" Eret stared. "Some kind of explosion?" He shook his head. "No it was something else."

"Careful, Eret," said Heather as she tended to Viggo. "He's dangerous."

Eret glared at the orc. "Speaking of punishment, pal. It's time for yours!"

Eret then performed his iron club and set it straight towards Grat, who jumped out of the way in time.

"I can tell that you have a lot of magic power inside," he said. He then extended his hand. "You're going to be so much fun to play with!"

Magic circles and appearing around Eret and Heather. Then suddenly the same thing that happened to Viggo happened to them sending them flying.

"What pretty lights," said Grat joyfully. "Your ruptions are so cool."

Eret and Heather then landed on the ground completely exhausted and looked up at Grat.

"What's the matter with this guy?" Eret stared.

"Such strange magic, I've never seen it before," said Heather weakly.

"It's _Rupture Magic_ ," said Viggo. "He can take his target and turn magic power and expanded until it ruptures. We don't stand a chance."

"Now everybody goes boom boom!" Grat laughed as he unleashes _Rupture Magic_ again on all three of them.

They were soon sent flying all different directions.

"Heather!" Eret yelled. "We've got to keep fighting!"

"There's no way I'm going to give up!" said Heather.

"Isn't this fun?" said Grat. "I'm glad you still have so much power, because I can keep playing with you until it's all gone." He used his _Rupture Magic_ yet again sending them colliding with the nearby boulders. "Oh, sorry did that hurt? Well, there's a whole lot more where that came from."

Viggo was completely confused. "It makes no sense. Why would the Archon let loose this monster free to attack temples? It goes against the Temple of Thor teachings."

He then lost consciousness.

* * *

Meanwhile Gildarts and Phlegma had reached the base of the mountain and found an ancient temple carved into the mountain face.

"Hello, is anyone in their?" said Gildarts banging on the door.

A rectangle aperture slid open and they saw the face of a female priest looking straight at them.

"Outsiders are strictly forbidden from coming inside," she said plainly.

"Come on, you don't have to be like that," said Gildarts. Apparently she did, because the priests closed the slot in front of his face. "Hey!"

"That was way too direct," said Phlegma.

"Looks like we've got no other choice," said Gildarts turning towards her. "We're going to need you."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Phlegma asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Take a closer look at the monastery," he said.

The entire monastery was actually made of wood instead of stone which meant that Phlegma could melt them right into its foundations allowing them to sneak through the complex.

"Your magic show comes in handy," said Gildarts as they made their way through the supports.

"Just watch where you put your hands," Phlegma warned.

They soon exited out of the support and found themselves in the middle of what appeared to be the dining hall. There were a lot of priests that suddenly turned towards them in a creepy manner.

"Outsiders," they said making their way towards them.

"They spotted us," said Phlegma.

"And we were doing so good therefore while," Gildarts groaned.

"Isn't that always the way?"

They then turned their way towards the priests which continue to say 'outsiders' also the way they were moving was also a bit creepy.

"Something strange," said Gildarts.

"You're not kidding," Phlegma agreed. She then placed her hands on the ground. " _Wood-Make: Wall!_ "

Suddenly emerging from the ground with a wooden wall that cut up some of the priests. Gildarts used his fists and legs to push the others back.

"You best keep your distance, right now!" he said.

Phlegma stared at him. "Don't you realise it's bad luck to attack priests?"

However, the priests merely got back up and they were moving in a manner that indicated that they want human. Some of them were even walking like spiders towards them.

"This is so bizarre," said Phlegma. "What's wrong with them?"

"I don't know, but then again my last nerve," said Gildarts.

"Get away from us!" Phlegma yelled creating another wood wall.

The priests merely just clambered over it.

"You guys just invaded my personal space!" Gildarts roared and outstretched his hand. He then uses magic and shattered the priests into dust.

"How could you just kill them like that?" Phlegma stared horrified.

"I didn't kill them," said Gildarts. "Look closer." Phlegma saw that he can turn them into dust, but into cubes made of stone. "They're not even alive."

Phlegma leaned over towards them. "They're like bricks. Pieces of earth and wood to make some kind of puppets. I've never heard of a magic that could do that."

"I don't trust the _Temple of Thor_ ," said Gildarts. "Gotta wonder what their hiding. That branch they've got secrets, some very dark secrets."

"I think that we have stumbled on something far more sinister than even Stoick suspected," said Phlegma grimly.

"Sure did," said Gildarts looking at the remaining priests that were making their way towards them. "But old Stoick was right on the money sending us to bust up this party." Gildarts then uses magic to annihilate the remaining priests. "We've got a lot to do. So let's get to work."

They then charged at the priests.


	18. Anti-Link

Alistair and Garon were in the _Library of Sorcery_ looking through the many books. Finally Alistair found the book he was looking for.

"Man, I'm going to a bendable were done with this," said Garon. "Are you getting any closer?"

"I think I'm starting to finally connect the dots," said Alistair. "I can't thank you enough Alr—Garon."

They then appeared just outside the temple.

"The _Oración Seis_ have been destroying temples all over Septem," said Alistair. "The attacks seem random, but I found evidence that those temples were secretly sheltering people."

Garon then transported them at the very door of the temple.

"What's so special about them?" Garon asked catching his breath. "Is there any record of them in the _Temple of Thor_ documents?"

"They were assumed to be corpses at first," said Alistair as they made their way inside. "However…"

Earlier Alistair had taken Garon to a facility where there were several paralysed Vikings wearing priest ropes. Each and every single one of them were pieces of a Celestial Spirit Key.

"Still kicking, huh?" Garon asked.

"I sense a bit of life from them, yes," Alistair nodded.

* * *

Back at the present Alistair looked at Garon.

"It's similar to a freezing seal. Almost as if they were…" He then shook his head. "No, that's not important now." They then continue to make their way through the temple. "I believe there some cabal working inside the _Temple of Thor_. All signs point to something big about to go down and it is centred around them."

"Sounds like we need to figure out who they are before they wind up as stiff as their buddies," said Garon.

* * *

Inside the temple Nico began to bark and Meloval looked up from her praying.

"What is it, Nico?" she asked. "Did you hear something?"

Nico barked yet again.

* * *

Meanwhile Ragnar and Fenris had reached the location in icy cavern and found Valkyrie there.

"Oh my," she said looking at the two of them. "Hello, boys."

"She's with the _Neo-Oración Seis_ ," said Ragnar getting ready for battle.

"Valkyrie not mistaken," said Fenris.

"What a babe!" a voice yelled through the cavern. Then suddenly appearing out of nowhere was Daan and he quickly grabbed Valkyrie's hand. "You're the cherubic beauty of my dreams."

"That's not really a compliment you know," said Valkyrie.

"And who is that?" Fenris asked looking at Ragnar.

Daan then got to his feet. "The name is Daan, a member of the _Legion Platoon_ at your service. Ruby is old news now, I've dedicated my heart to this Valkyrie."

"A bit delusional isn't he?" said Fenris.

"You can say that again," said Ragnar. He then looked up at Valkyrie. "Okay, lady, what did you do with the Infinity clock?"

"What an idiotic question," said Valkyrie dismissively. She then placed her hands over her heart and then began to glow. " _Cost is 40, come forth from the light. In my name embraced by holy might_.'

Daan positioned himself next to Ragnar and Fenris, who readied his rapier.

" _Valkyrie Magic_ ," said Fenris as four coins appeared in Valkyrie's hand. "Be on guard."

"She's so heavenly, I'm on fire," said Daan. He then frowned when he looked into her eyes. "But that darkness in her eyes bothers me. My spear will set us straight."

" _Oh, Valkyrie of the sunlight, Saleif! I summon thee!_ " said Valkyrie.

There was a bright light and emerging out of nowhere was a female warrior with silver hair. In her hand she held a mighty shield and sword and she looked down upon them.

"Hello there boys," she said.

"What is that thing," Ragnar stared.

"I don't know, but she's certainly cute," said Daan.

"I found some playmates for you," said Valkyrie looking at Saleif.

"Then let us have some fun," said Saleif and jumped into the air.

"I'll certainly have fun with new," said Daan with a huge silly grin on his face.

Saleif then knocked him aside with her shield.

"That was fast," said Ragnar.

Fenris' right eye then glowed dark. " _Dark Écriture: Pain!_ " he yelled swinging his rapier and unleashing a barrage of dark magic.

Ragnar placed his hands together. " _Ice-Make: Saucer!_ " he yelled and fired a large spinning disk of ice.

However, the two attacks merely bounced off Saleif's shield.

"You hardly made a dent," she said. She then raised her sword. "Now witness the light of a Valkyrie!"

Suddenly a bright light emanated from her sword blinding the two of them and then there was an explosion.

* * *

Meanwhile Astrid and her team were face to face with Cobra. He had just unleashed a powerful attack on them.

"May your own voice destroy you," he said.

Rubbella and Wartihog were completely worn out.

"Stay down," Astrid ordered as she drew her battle-axe. "I'll handle this."

"Do you know where Cubellios is?" Cobra asked looking up at her. "Don't try to hide anything from me, Freyja."

Astrid had completely no idea what he was talking about and judging from the look Cobra made he realised it too.

"I see," he said looking disappointed. "You really don't know."

"So what? You're just going to answer your own questions?" Wartihog asked.

"His magic allowed him to hear our every thoughts," Astrid explained.

Rubbella looked troubled by this. "He better no sifting through anything private."

"If you can't help me, I don't need you," said Cobra and snapped his fingers.

Astrid's voice roared across the entire area nearly deafening them and then there was a large explosion. Fortunately, Astrid changed into her _Boneknapper Armour_ just in time to protect them though her shields were badly damaged.

"What was that?" said Wartihog.

"More than just a _Listening spell_ ," said Rubbella.

Astrid parted her shields and looked at Cobra. "He absorbed the sound of my voice and amplified it. Then used it to attack, very clever."

She then transformed into her _Changewing Armour_.

"I can hear it," said Cobra. "You plan to use the elasticity of your clothing to weaken my attack and land a strike of your own." Astrid then charged at him and swung her spear at him, but he read her attacks and dodged. "Close, but no cigar." She then swung her spear again and he dodged yet again. "I hear everything, even your movements."

He then slammed his palm into her side and sent a powerful force of sound directly at her. Just as she predicted her armour weakened the attack considerably, but it was enough to weaken her slightly.

She landed a good distance away and he looked quite impressed. "You never cease to impress. You're more dexterous than ever before, no wonder you defeated Agnar of _Grimoire Heart_."

Astrid knew that Hiccup was able to defeat him by attacking using pure instincts and then deafened him with a roar.

"You don't honestly think I'm that stupid do you?" Cobra glared at her. "Your boyfriend caught me off-guard, but I'm not going to fall for the same trip twice."

"We'll see!" Astrid yelled as he jumped into the ear and swung her spear down towards him.

He was able to dodge the attack and she steadied him open eyed.

"Seven years ago…" Cobra then unleashed a powerful soundwave all across the area. "I lost Cubellios." Rubbella and Wartihog then charged towards him. "And _Dragon Tail_ took her from the!" The soundwave was so powerful that the two of them were knocked aside. Astrid was just barely able to hold her ground by digging her spear into the ground. "Give her back! Return, Cubellios to me now!"

"Who is that?" Astrid asked in confusion.

* * *

Meanwhile Meloval who was looking at Nico who was quite frantic.

"There's nothing to worry about," she assured him. "It's probably just the servant's staff coming back from their supply run."

She then heard the sound of the doors opening and looked up to see both Alistair and Garon looking down at her.

"Hello," said Garon.

"Afternoon," said Alistair politely.

"Who are you?" Meloval asked looking quite frightened.

Alistair then noticed Nico and recognised to be truly was in a second. "A spirit? You're a Celestial Viking?"

Garon looked at her and his eyes widened, because she reminded him a great deal of Merrill only older with shorter hair.

"Run!" Melvoal cried.

However before she could get too far Garon transported him and Alistair directly in front of her. Alistair then grabbed her hand.

"Listen, please," he pleaded.

"Let go of me!" she screamed.

Nico immediately jumped off the table and bit his leg. "Calm down," said Alistair wincing slightly. "My name is Alistair Captain of the Council's Honour Guard. I conducting an investigation."

"Into what exactly?" Melvoal asked calling off Nico.

Alistair then began to explain the situation while Garon just stared at her. He was willing to bet that Merrill would look a lot like this girl, if she was still alive. He had no idea that the members of _Dragon Tail_ were still alive and still blamed himself for abandoning them in their time of need.

* * *

Meanwhile in the mountains, Merrill was frantically trying to heal Dogsbreath.

"Stay strong," she said using her _Healing Magic_. "Come on, Dogsbreath, I know you can pull through this."

Dogsbreath's helmet was cracked and he looked up at Merrill. "Forget about me. Learn while you still can."

Grim Reaper appear directly above her. "Listen to him, give up and run away," he said and raised his hand. "Unless you wish to join him in suffering."

He then unleashed a massive lightning storm striking Merrill with both lightning and wind knocking her down to the ground.

"Do you see how futile your fight is now?" Grim Reaper asked. "Nobody stand a chance against the raw power of nature."

His eyes widened when he saw Merrill picking herself up making her way back to Dogsbreath. He then watched as she continued to heal him to the best of her abilities.

"If you abandon him you might have a chance of escaping with your life," said Grim Reaper. "Why go to him instead?"

"Because as long as I'm breathing I will never abandon a friend," she said strongly.

"What a fool!"

He then unleashed another lightning storm on top of her, but she stood her ground and continue to heal Dogsbrearth.

"Damn it, kid! Quit playing hero and get out of here already!" Dogsbreath yelled. "I know it ain't there, but sometimes you've got to leave your friends behind!"

"No, you're wrong!" Merrill yelled through the wind. "I'm not moving from this spot so shut up and let me save you!"

Suddenly he began to unleash a powerful blow across the entire area which struck Grim Reaper.

"Friends?" he stared. Then suddenly he saw shadows of several figures in front of him. "What is this?" He then grasped his head in pain. "Who was that? What did you go to me?"

Both Merrill and Dogsbreath was confused as he was.

"I don't know what just happened, but you got to him," said Dogsbreath.

* * *

Meanwhile Meloval was preparing for an imminent attack and held out a Silver Key.

" _Open! Gate of the Chisel!_ _Caelum!_ " she chanted.

Then suddenly emerging out of thin air was a strange mechanical device. It then took on the form of the laser and began to position itself in the hall.

"Please keep watch over us," said Meloval.

Garon was impressed that she was able to open two Gates at once.

Meloval then looked at him awkwardly. "Hm, you keep staring at me. I know _Celestial Viking_ is a kinda rare. Have you met any of us before?"

"No, nothing like that," he assured. "I don't mean to be creepy it's just that you look like somebody I used to know."

"Oh really, do you?" Meloval looking intrigued.

"Yes, it was a long time ago," he sighed.

"So who was this girl that resembles me?" she asked.

"Unfortunately she passed away about seven years ago, but that's because I failed her."

Alistair was watching from a distance, he knew the girl he was talking about a new that she was very much alive. He decided it was best not to reveal that information and believed it was best for Garon to get over it by himself.

Meloval closer eyes and picked up Nico. "You know, in a strange way. I envy. I mean she's been gone a while, but she is able to live on in the thoughts of those who knew her. I'd love to have someone like that, but no even after a hundred years I'll have no one."

She then looked at Garon, who stared. She realised that she had let slip something quite important.

"It may seem odd, but I gave up over a long time ago. I lost most of my friends in the attacks and I'm afraid it's only a matter of time before I joined them."

Alistair stared at her. "You've given up on what?"

"On living," she said plainly. "In the here and now."

Garon could see a little himself inside of her. "I see," he said.

"I resigned to my fate so I thought I'd take in as much air and scenery as I can while I'm here."

"But we should protect you," said Garon firmly. "Meloval I—" He stopped and for brief moment before that he saw Merrill in front of him and the guilt struck him again. "Don't listen to me."

"Excuse me," said Alistair looking at her. "May I ask are you being sheltered by the temple for some reason?"

"Yes," Meloval nodded.

"Who are you? And who were your friends? We can help."

However before she could explain, Caelum began beeping frantically warning them that something was coming. He then fired a blast at the ceiling, but seconds later he was destroyed and return to the spirit realm in an instant.

"Caelum! No!" Meloval cried.

"We're not alone here!" Alistair yelled.

"Hey, look out!" Garon yelled as both he and Alistair turned. "He's behind you!"

Then suddenly appearing right behind Meloval was Racer holding a strange red crystal dagger. "I found you," he said menacingly.

He was about to strike, but then Meloval vanished. Garon had managed to grab in time and reappeared at the steps they entered from.

"Don't worry I've got you!" he assured.

He then quickly vanished and a few seconds later Racer appears the blur destroyed the wooden steps. Alistair could only watch as they became flickers of light above him.

"Be careful, Garon, he's dangerous," Alistair warned.

Garon then slid across the stone table still holding Meloval in his arms. Racer then appeared holding onto the roof support beam.

"Hey, he's with the _Neo-Oración Seis_ … Racer," he said.

"Destroy vessel," he said with a mad look in his eye.

* * *

Meanwhile at the Grand Temple, the High Priests were growing concerned about the Archon.

"Time is a luxury we don't have."

"Word of the Archon's madness has begun to spread to the outside."

"We should select a new Archon and continue with the _Founding Festival_."

"Everyone calm down!" said Vex, who was standing in the centre of the room. "Selecting a new Archon is absolutely out of the question especially now that the Infinity Clock is lost to us. The Archon is the sole pillar of order to our followers, if we replace him confusion and chaos will run rampant."

"But your Eminence, is that really wise?"

Vex merely turned and couldn't believe how pathetic they were just like insects. Even if they did replace their precious leader it would do no good. He smiled as he knew that the end finally within his grasp.

* * *

Meanwhile Garon was still battling against Racer across the temple.

"Destroy the vessel," said Racer landing on all fours. "Destroy!"

He then dashed towards Garon, who barely had time to dodge. He managed to reappear safe distance away from Racer with Meloval still in his arms.

Then suddenly the supports from the roof fell to the ground and Racer appeared on top of them.

"You're very quick, how have fun destroying you," he said looking at Garon hungrily.

"Alistair, take Meloval and run," Garon ordered.

Alistair nodded. "I'll keep her safe."

"But what about you?" Meloval asked looking at Garon.

"Just get out of here all right!" Garon yelled.

"Are you sure?"

"He can take care of himself," Alistair assured. "There's no need for you to worry, he may not look it but he's a skilled Viking. Believe me if there is anyone that can handle this guy, it's Garon."

Meloval looking at Garon. "Thank you. Please be careful."

Alistair then took Meloval and they ran out of the temple as quickly as they could.

Garon looked at Racer. "You know I've abandoned a lot of things, but losing my humanity is a line I would never cross."

"Destroy," said Racer.

"Okay, monster, let's see which one of us is faster!"

The two of them and shafted one another as fast as they could and Racer slammed Garon through !the wall. The two of them then began banishing across the courtyard trading blows with one another, they were moving so fast that it was difficult to say which one was winning.

In the end the winner was Racer as he slammed Garon into the porch in the courtyard.

"I get it," he said as Racer appeared on the roof of the temple. "You're pretty quick, but I'm just warming up. _Direct Line!_ "

Then the two of them began zooming round yet again, but Garon had noticed something from the battle. He admitted that Racer was fascinated almost impossible to see what he was doing, but from what he could tell he was moving in simple straight lines. Fortunately, his _Direct Line_ wasn't as restricted so all he had to do was circle around him.

They continue to zoom around in breakneck speeds, but Racer appeared right behind Garon.

"I can see your movements fool," he said before dealing a devastating kick to Garon.

Garon slammed right into the wall hard. "Damn, I spend way too much time getting hammered." Racer then vanished yet again and reappeared on the porch. "This is getting rough."

"What's wrong and I too fast? Sorry about that," Racer sneered. He then laughed to himself. "This is nothing, but a warmup. Time for round two."

* * *

Meanwhile Grim Reaper was freaking out clutching his head in utter confusion.

"Make it stop!" he pleaded. "Get out of my head! I don't want any memories!"

Merrill and Dogsbreath just watched to them it looked as if he was in torture.

"Looks like this week's mind is turning on him," said Dogsbreath.

"Stay away, Sigvid! I can't hear myself think!" he roared.

Dogsbreath used his Figure Eyes to look into Grim Reaper's soul. "His memories are trying to come to the surface, but something else is pushing them back. Whatever you did to remind him is tearing him apart from the inside out."

"I want to help him," said Merrill. Dogsbreath just stared at her as if she was crazy. "If my _Healing Magic_ started this then maybe I can use it to stop whatever is blocking his mind."

"You really want to help the guy who's trying to kill us?" he stared at her in bewilderment.

"I have to," said Merrill strongly and suddenly a powerful aura emanated from her.

"You!" Grim Reaper roared as he raised his scythe. "Die!"

He then unleashed a powerful lightning storm straight towards.

" _Sea Dragon's Healing Roar!_ " Merrill roared and unleashed breath attack, but this time combining it with her _Healing Magic_.

The two attacks collided and each one of them tried overpower the other.

"There will be nothing left when I'm through with you!" Grim Reaper roared.

"Remember!" Merrill roared through her attack.

Dogsbreath was doing everything he could saw that he wouldn't be blown away. "Man, this kid is pushy," he said.

Then suddenly there was a large flash that consumed everyone and Grim Reaper found himself in a most unusual place.

"Hey," said a voice. Grim Reaper turned and saw his younger self looking at him. "Do you have any idea how pathetic you look right now? I find it hard to believe that I ever gave up so much just for power."

Grim Repaer stared at him. "I know you. You're me."

Then he roared in pain as dark lighting emanated from his body. Merrill and Dogsbreath then watch as he collapsed to the ground smouldering slightly.

"Something seriously nasty just popped out of his soul," said Dogsbreath.

"He's in pain, because of me," said Merrill horrified. "All I wanted was to heal his mind, but I ended up hurting him instead."

"He may look rough, but you'll be just fine," Dogsbreath assured patting her on the head. "Whatever was clouding his mind is gone now. You've done good, Merrill."

* * *

Meanwhile Alistair was with Meloval at the foot of a large tree close to the temple. He was now beginning to ask questions about the entire event about why Racer was after.

"Could you explain it to me," said Alistair.

"Yes," she nodded. "The attacks on the temples are just a side-effect, the true goal of the _Neo-Oración Seis_ is to perform _Anti-Links_ rights."

"What is an _Anti-Link_?"

"Since the _Temple of Thor_ was founded there have been an underground society, it has been able to remain hidden from the powers that be since its formation. They worked to keep the _Celestial Vikings_ of Wilhelm safe and sheltered all this time."

"Wilhelm?" Alistair blinked. "I heard that he was a Celestial Viking, but it has never been confirmed."

"He was many things, including a great teacher who had many pupils. We're their descendants, biological links to his work."

"What you mean?"

"It's our job to protect his legacy from as long as we still live." Then suddenly appearing around her body was strange black markings. "These crests symbolise that. Our duty as well as our greatest curse."

"I'm deeply sorry for your burden," said Alistair sympathetically. "I can't even fathom it, but your friends… they are neither alive nor dead what happened to them?"

"Well, you see…"

However before, Meloval could finish Garon appeared out of nowhere looking completely exhausted.

"Run for it, Merrill," he said before he collapsed.

Then standing there directly behind him the two of them saw Racer with a hungry look on his face.

"No!" Alistair yelled charging at him.

However, Racer quickly kicked him across the face sending him flying and then grabbed Meloval's head and pinning it to the tree. Nico growled and jumped at Racer, but he was easily knocked aside and landed on the grass.

Then appearing in Racer's hand was the same strange red crystal-like dagger. "Once I performed the amplitude limiter entire legal pain will end!"

The red crystal then began to grow in a fearful red colour and he raised it towards Meloval and she realised that this was the end. She closed her eyes preparing for the worst as Racer raised his hand.

He then struck, but Meloval never felt the blow and she opened her eyes to find that Garon had appeared right in front of took the blow for her. The crystal then unleashed a powerful ball of red energy all across the area and then it began to die down.

Alistair saw that there was no sign of Racer and Garon was completely unharmed. "What just happened here?"

"Beats me, but I can sure use a drink," said Garon equally confused. He then turned to Meloval. "Are you okay?"

Meloval was unconscious and her crests were all over her body.

"Oh no," said Garon expecting the worst. "But she wasn't hit. Was she?" The crests then vanished from her body. "Meloval! Come on, stay with me!"

Racer was watching from a rock and chuckled to himself. "The _Anti-Link_ has been completed," he said and then vanished.

* * *

Meanwhile Brain was deep underneath the temple within Berk and made his way down a secret chamber.

"At last, we meet Wilhelm the Curator," he said as he made his way to a grave marker. "You take rather a dreary place for your grave marker. Can't say I envy you." He then leaned over the grave marker. "Guess what? I've taken care of your pupils for you and didn't receive a single thank you. Don't worry, I'll take care of your legacy as well, every bit of it. After all nightmares are my specialty."

* * *

Meanwhile Meloval finally regained consciousness.

"Good, you're right," said Garon. "You're not hurt you?"

"No, I'm fine," she assured. She then looked at him. "But what you?"

"You should worry about me, but can you tell us in the name of Tarbal what happened?" Garon asked.

"The _Anti-Link_ must have been active," she said noticing that her crests were gone from her body. "I don't feel the biological link any more, but it seems my curse didn't take effect."

"Are you sure?" Alistair asked. The two of them looked at him. "Because it seems you've lost your magic power."

They turned and saw that Nico was beginning to vanished and was looking at her with a sad face.

"Nico," she cried. "Thanks for everything you've done, I'll never forget you or the others I swear." He then barked at and she smiled. "Yeah, you're right and it won't be in a hundred years I'm sure. We'll meet again soon."

Garon looked at her. "So you can understand what its saying?"

Meloval brushed the tears out of her eyes. "Kinda, I can only catch a little bit here and there, but I'm pretty sure he said 'Thanks for helping.'" She then looked at him. "He also says, 'Get your paw off her.'"

Garon realise that he was still holding her. "Oh, my bad," he said quickly backing away.

"I assume this means you no longer a _Celestial Viking_ ," Alistair assumed.

"I'm sorry," said Garon apologetically. "When it came down to it, I simply wasn't able to protect you."

Nico had now completely vanished and Meloval got to her feet. "No, you're wrong. You did protect me from a horrific curse. If you haven't been here, I'd be as good as dead now. So thank you. You saved my life, you're my hero."

Garon looked down. "Thanks." He then started to cry. "But I'm not…"

Alistair looked down at him. "Do you see it now, Garon? If you let the past hold you back, you'll miss out on more chances to change the future like today."

Garon then got to his feet. "Cut the philosophical crap and by the way… Garon is gone. My name is Alron."

Both Alistair and Meloval smiled, because Alron had finally found his resolve and this time he wasn't going to lose again. Alice in particular was completely proud that Alron had finally freed himself from his past and now he will truly have a chance to thrive. This was the beginning of a new day for his old friend.

* * *

Meanwhile Toothless and the other exceeds were flying through the rain and Toothless can help with the troubled with what Windshear had said. He agreed with Windshear that something was off, but he had no idea what it was.

Ruby's father left her a piece of the Infinity Clock and then the _Temple of Thor_ went after it. In the end both parties were completely blindsided by the _Neo-Oración Seis_ and they fell right into their trap. He couldn't shake the feeling that they were overlooking something really obvious, but he had no idea what it could be.

"Hiccup, I hope you're all right," he said to himself.

* * *

Hiccup and the others were having problems with Nexus and still Byro refused to move an inch.

"This is getting ridiculous," said Hiccup. "We shouldn't be having this much problem against a heap of junk."

"I've got a bad feeling, it's almost as if I can his _Fortune Telling_ backfired on us," said Ruby.

"I know, we're not compatible," said Hiccup looking quite troubled. "However, we've got to stick to what we got."

"Finally we agree on something," said Snotlout them before anyone could stop any charge straight towards Nexus.

"No wait!" Ruby yelled

Hiccup and Leo charged along with him, but they hit straight into his force field. He then fired a lightning bolt from his palms electrocuting the three of them.

"Hiccup!" Ruby cried.

"Don't worry, I'm fine," Hiccup assured. He then looked at Nexus. "I have no idea who built you, the _Dragon Tail_ we taking you apart mark my words."

"Yeah," Ruby agreed. "Whether Agatha was right or not, we still have to take this guy down."

"Let's do it," said Hiccup.

Byro just continue to watch the battle.

* * *

Meanwhile Gildarts and Phlegma had just finished taking care of the fake priests.

"That said, I think we've hit the end of the line," said Gildarts.

"Wait, Gildarts, check it out," Phlegma pointed noticing something at the far end of the corridor they were in.

Gildarts looked up and saw a girl attached to some sort of life-support system. She looked in really bad shape covered in bandages and looked like she had been through Helheim.

"Is that a good?" Gildarts stared.

"It looks like she's still alive," Phlegma noted.

"Who is she? And why she tucked away in this musty old cave?"

Phlegma grabbed her medical charts and began looking through them. "Well, according to this chart she underwent heavy treatment after a big accident several years ago. And what strange is that even if she recovers that Lacrima will keep in a coma-like state."

Gildarts frowned. "Somebody wanted Sleeping Beauty to stay asleep from real long time? Do you have any clue who she might be?"

Phlegma looked at the chart for her name and her eyes widened. "It says here that she is Sigird Lobster? And I'll bet you this one is the real deal."

"Hold on, this girl is Sigird," Gildarts stared.

"Apparently so. The sole daughter and surviving member of the Lobster Clan, everyone else died in an accident on their plantation."

"Wait, I'm confused," said Gildarts. "If she is here, then who's that girl was then hanging out with Ruby?"


	19. Despair Unleashed

All across Septem the forces of the Viking Council were moving out all across the continent as quickly as they could.

"A message from the Honour Guard!"

"The _Oración Seis_ is not out to destroy temples as we originally thought."

"They are out of the Celestial Vikings being sheltered inside, we must locate and protect these Vikings!"

Hiccup saw guard entering into the temple in their location. "Everything is happening so fast all of a sudden," he said.

* * *

Meanwhile Gildarts and Phlegma had exited the temple along with the unconscious Sigrid, who was being carried by Gildarts. Once they were inside Phlegma contacted the Guild with the cards that I the card Agatha that and provide Speedfist's telepathy.

"You've got to be kidding me," said Speedfist. "Our Sigrid is a pony."

"Well, we're not absolutely sure that the case," said Phlegma honestly. "But it would certainly appear that way. We found who we believe to be the real Sigrid Lobster."

"Seriously?" Speedfist stared. "I'll let Master, Ruby and the others know right away."

"Thanks, we're going to try and find the closest hospital and get this girl some help," said Phlegma.

Speedfist then shut up the connection and looked at everyone in the Guildhall.

"Man, can't believe this," he says shaking his head in disbelief.

"What do you think we should do?" Ruffnut asked.

"We have to get a hold of Hiccup and his team," said Fishlegs. She then looked at Agatha. "Do they have Communication Cards?"

"Yeah, each team should at least have one," said Agatha. "I think Snotlout has won on him too."

Sven then rushed inside. "Bad news, we just got word that the _Oración Seis_ are attacking the temple here!"

"What?" Agatha stared.

"Oh crap," Speedfist cursed. "And there's nobody there to protect it."

"We'll go right now," said Ruffnut gesturing to herself and Tuffnut.

Speedfist then placed his fingers on his temple. "Hey, you guys better watch your back! The Sigrid that's with you is a fake, be careful! Hello! Can anyone hear me? Someone please respond!"

* * *

Unfortunately, Snotlout was not out cold and he was too far way for anyone else to hear Speefist's voice coming from the card. There were also a bit too busy fighting against Nexus to pay attention.

Hiccup have now drawn _Inferno_ and was charging at Nexus.

"I don't think so," said Nexus using his shield to block the attack and then he blasted Hiccup with a laser.

Byro watched from above and smiled knowing that if they defeated one another in make his job easier. However, he was confused why they were ordering this order now of all times and what could the reason be.

Ruby looked back at Sigrid. "Stand back, okay, Sigird," she said. "I'll do whatever it takes to keep you save."

Nexus then looked up. "I'm completely forgetting my mission," he said and then dashed towards the temple.

"What?" Hiccup yelled.

Nexus soon looked down at the temple and the guards quickly turned towards him.

"It's the _Oración Seis_!"

"It's time to be done with this," said Nexus and extended his arm.

Suddenly a leader appeared out of the slot in his forearm and he fired straight at the temple destroying it completely and taking out the guards.

"Damn it!" Hiccup cursed.

"Why is he attacking the temple?" Ruby frowned.

Byro decided he couldn't stand on the sidelines any longer and charge straight towards Nexus.

"This is reprehensible!" he roared. He then jumped into the air and his staff began to glow. "Curse you!"

* * *

Meanwhile the fight with Cobra was not going tremendously well.

" _Sand Slash!_ " Wartihog yelled unleashing a whip of sound directly at him.

"It's pointless. I hear you," said Cobra. He then unleashed a sonic wave dispelling the sand.

Wartihog then appeared directly behind him. "Don't be so sure!"

Cobra then kicked him in the chest hard. "Don't you listen?"

Suddenly Wartihog turned into sand and trapped Cobra's leg in the sand dune. The real Wartihog then appeared out of the sand with a large smile on his face.

"Jokes on you, pal," he smirked. "I got you in my _Sand Trap_. Guess you did hear that one coming, did ya?" He then turned to Astrid. "Now Astrid go get him!"

Immediately charged at Cobra with a spear drawn.

"How idiotic," said Cobra. He then unleashed a powerful sonic burst that pushed both Astrid and Wartihog aside. "I hear your attacks coming." Astrid quickly stood her ground, but Cobra then suddenly appeared directly behind. "Now I'll destroy you!"

He then unleashed a sonic blast directly at her, but from nowhere Wartihog appeared into the full front of the blast.

"Wartihog!" Astrid cried.

He then collapsed and fell unconscious right next to Rubbella who was also unconscious.

Cobra then looked at Astrid distastefully. "Save your tears, do you honestly care what happens to him?"

"Yes, he is my friend," she said leaning over his body.

"Ever since I lost Cubellios, I am all alone," he said with a saddened face. "I have no friends."

Astrid then chuckled to herself as she stood up. "I can hear it, all the sadness in your voice. Instead of attempting to hide it, you should aim to conquer it. It'll make you a stronger person."

"Don't talk if as if you know," Cobra glared. "You can't possibly understand the loneliness and heartache that I feel!"

"We've all been there, everyone in this world has experienced heartache in some form." Astrid then looked down at her feet. "Yes, it's unavoidable."

The two of them then just looked at one another in silence, but then Cobra heard voices coming from the temple.

"Now then, come with me us."

"We found a _Celestial Viking_ what should we do, sir?"

"Good work. Hurry to headquarters."

"I'm wasting time," said Cobra. "I almost forgot about my objective." He then drew out the handle of a dagger. "Freyja…" Suddenly the dagger produced a blade of red crystal. "We'll have to finish this another day."

He then started to make his way to the temple and Astrid knew that there was no way she could stop it so she reverted back to her normal attire.

* * *

Meanwhile Ragnar and Fenris had been completely defeated by Valkyrie. Saleif was now holding a man in her hands and presenting her to Valkyrie.

"Very good work," Valkyrie smiled as he pulled out a dagger made of red crystal.

"I found him. I caught the _Celestial Viking_ , mistress," said Saleif respectfully.

"Time for the _Amplitude Limiter Anti-Link_ ," said Valkyrie getting the dagger ready. "This might hurt a bit."

"No! Please!" the man pleaded.

The dagger then began to glow. "So beautiful," she said with a cruel laughter.

"Even if you sever my link the others will stop you!"

She then stabbed the man with the dagger and immediately there was a sudden glow and when it vanished the man's skin had turned golden. Saleif then tossed him aside as if he was nothing more than a rag doll.

Daan was hiding behind some ice and watch the entire thing.

"If what Priest Mason said was true, then there are only two _Celestial Vikings_ remaining," said Valkyrie.

"Then our mission is almost complete, mistress," said Saleif.

"We've waited enough. Now our players will finally be answered," said Valkyrie with an almost hopeful look.

Ragnar tried to get back up, but he collapsed as he heard Valkyrie's laughter.

* * *

The Exceeds had finally landed at the ruins of one of the temples that the _Neo-Oración Seis_ destroyed.

"Your doctrine has been used for evil," said Skullcrusher.

"What do you mean by that?" Cloudjumper asked.

"Certainly, but before I do that…" Windshear then took on her battle form and then looked at Skullcrusher. "I challenge you to a rematch."

Skullcrusher then entered into his battle form. "If that's what you want you're on, Windshear," he said.

"Why now?" Toothless frowned.

"Perhaps Windshear has something to prove," said Stormfly.

"I could never understand women," Cloudjumper shrugged.

"And I could never understand men," said Stormfly raising an eyebrow towards him.

Then both Skullcrusher and Windshear then charged towards one another and both of them struck each other with their fists.

"Better start explaining before I knock you out," said Skullcrusher punching her across the face and he smashed right through some debris. "I know the _Temple of Thor_ is up to something! Tell me!"

"That's what precisely I'm trying to do," said Windshear as she recovered. "Before we left High Priest Vex gave each of us a very specific order!"

The two of them then clashed their kicks against one another, but Skullcrusher quickly counted and swung his fist at her. She dodged and then kicked him across the face and he began somersaulting back to a safer position.

"A High Priest?" Toothless frowned. "I thought you guys serve the Archon directly."

"It is a bit odd," Stormfly agreed.

"What were your missions?" Cloudjumper asked curiously.

"Dann and Viggo was sent to stop you, Ryker was put on standby in case of an emergency and then there Grat," said Windshear.

"Wait, who is that?" Skullcrusher asked.

"A newcomer to the _Legion Platoon_ , an orc of all things," said Windshear distastefully. "He's replacing Valyya."

Skullcrusher's eyes widened. "No way! Where is she? What did they do to her?"

"They put where traders belong!" Windshear roared and kicked him hard in the chest. She then swung another kick towards his face, but he blocked it. "In prison!"

Skullcrusher then tossed her aside. "What she do?"

"She was supportive you and your colleagues," she said landed a good distance away. "Enough of that. We have more important things to worry about right now like Grat. I didn't hear it ordered, but I've got a bad feeling about him and not only because he's an orc. According to my calculations when the cleaner stepped into the limelight the _Temple of Thor_ will face a threat from the inside."

Skullcrusher was still concerned about Valyya. "Valyya?" he breathed.

"Wasn't she the girl that hated cats?" Cloudjumper asked whispering to the other two.

"She was also a bit short tempered if I recall," Stormfly whispered back.

"Because he can't drop the fact that she is not the same Valyya he befriended in Edolas," said Toothless.

"There is something else you should know," said Windshear as she began to trade blows with Skullcrusher. "The orders given to Lord Byro and me were bizarre to say the least."

She then eventually managed to get him into a hold by wrapping her legs around his neck and trapping his right arm. She then pinned him to the ground.

"Bizarre how?" Skullcrusher asked.

"We were given a task that I don't understand, but what is most perplexing is that we were order to retrieve the Infinity Clock," she said. "As far as I'm concerned, stopping it should be our top priority right now."

"Oh, I see," said Stormfly. "That is rather bizarre isn't it?"

"To say the least," said Cloudjumper. "Why stop us when the _Oración Seis_ are clearly the biggest threat."

"That I would have to work together for now on," said Toothless.

Skullcrusher managed to free himself and slammed her into the ground. "So that's why you want to know whether Stormfly had any visions."

Windshear picked herself up. "Even after all this, Lord Byro's loyalty still remains intact, but I however…"

Skullcrusher then took her in certainty to his advantage and slammed his fist across her face.

"You sure are putting up much of a fight like the last time, Windshear," he said and seconds later she reverted back to a normal form. "There's a hesitation behind your attacks, you'll never be able to defeat me until you fight with utter certainty." He then returned to his normal form. "We'll have to put an end to whatever is causing your doubt."

* * *

Meanwhile Eret and Heather's battle against Grat was not going well as he kept on using his _Rupture Magic_ against them to great effect.

"You are going down!" Grat roared using his magic upon Eret.

Viggo had regained consciousness and saw the battle transpiring. "He's a monster," he said.

"I'm still standing ugly!" Eret yelled charging towards him.

"Yeah, but not for long," said Grat extending his hand. "You have seen nothing yet! I'm just getting started!"

Another Magic Circle appeared and Eret began to glow and roar in pain. He then collapsed to the ground smouldering slightly.

"Just give up already!" Viggo yelled. "You don't stand a chance against him! He's stronger than all of us!"

"You should listen to him," Grat smirked.

Eret then slammed his hand to the ground. "You know back when I was _Phantom_ I might've turned around and walked away." He then got up to his feet. "But unfortunately for you I'm a _Dragon Tail_ Vikings now. So that means there ain't no way I'm giving up. You can beat me to pulp, but I'll still keep fighting. There's no stopping us right, Heather!"

"Thanks for buying me some time, Eret," said Heather's voice. Suddenly water appeared beneath Grat's feet and suddenly the water rose up trapping him inside a bubble. "I'm feeling much better now."

"Oh no, it's a trap," said Grat pretending to be surprised. "Are you kidding? I can get out of this easy."

Heather then appear directly in front of him in water form. "Go ahead and give it your best shot."

"You asked for it," he said extending his hand. "You are about to explode!"

However, everything around him exploded instead and Heather merely smirked as she grabbed hold of him. The magic he unleashed into her then started to flow into his resolving him to feel the same the pain as she was.

"What are you going?" Grat roared try to shake Heather off. "Let go of me!"

"It's not going to happen," said Heather wincing. "Now Eret!"

"You've got it!" said Eret jumping into the air above them. He then formed his greatsword. "Now it's your time to go boom!"

He then slammed his sword on top of him sending him flying and he landed on the ground unmoving.

"Not bad, but timing could use some work," said Eret resting his greatsword on his shoulder.

"That is to be expected considering that we haven't been part for very long time," said Heather as she reappeared next to him.

Viggo just stared at them. "I didn't think it could be done they actually defeated Grat the Cleaner."

* * *

Meanwhile Dogsbreath was beginning to interrogate Dagur, who was still out cold.

"Hey! Wake up!" he yelled. "Open your eyes Dagur or else!"

"You don't have to be so rough with him," said Merrill looking slightly afraid.

"I don't have to be nice to the enemy." He then continued to shake Dagur. "Come on, man. Hurry up and tell me what you guys are planning. Whereas the Infinity Clock?"

Grim Reaper finally regained consciousness and looked completely confused. "Sorry, I don't know. Everything is hazy," he said. "I have no idea what I was even doing."

"He just got his memory back, it might be a while before he is able to think clearly again," said Merrill.

"Do you even remember anything at this point?" Dogsbreath asked.

"I remember having a horrible nightmare while I was in prison. It's hard to explain, but it was like that someone snuck into my dream. After that, it was over."

"So, let me guess, when you woke up you suddenly came Grim Reaper."

"I could be wrong about this, but it sounds like someone used this spell to use your dreams to control you," said Merrill.

"I think you're right," said Dagur.

Dogsbreath nodded. "Yep, that's it and I bet they're manipulating their targets brainwaves. That way they can take control slowly without being noticed."

"If only I had known before I agreed to give up my memory," said Dagur looking completely shaken up. "I was granted powerful magic which allowed me to control the weather, but it wasn't worth it. I forgot everything, it was gone in a flash. I can't imagine anything more agonising than that. I never understood why they say with great power comes at a price, but I do now.

"I was lost…" he then turned to Merrill. "Until I heard your voice calling out to me. I certainly own you quite a debt."

Merrill merely smiled. "You don't know owe me anything."

Dogsbreath eyes then widened in horror. "Wait a sec, Agatha." He then got to his feet. "Right before she picked out all our teams, she was talking about how tired she felt."

Merrill nodded. "Now that you mention it, she did say that he had been sleeping a lot." She then realised what Dogsbreath was implying. "Do you think she's being controlled in her dreams and she doesn't realise it?"

"There's no other way to explain it," said Dogsbreath. "They manipulated her into picking teams that weren't best for them."

"Oh no!" Merrill cried.

"Man this sucks. We fell right into their trap," Dogsbreath cursed.

* * *

Meanwhile Brain was deep under the temple of Berk standing in front of Wilhelm the Curator grave marker. He was blasted with dark magic, but there was some sort of magical shield surrounding it.

"I expected no less of the renowned _Celestial Viking_ , Wilhelm the Curator," said Brain. "Even in death you're protected by intense magic power, but it is not going to be able to protect you forever."

"I wouldn't be so sure that," said Tuffnut's voice.

"After all you have to deal with us," said Ruffnut's voice.

Brain turned and saw the twins standing there.

"You have a lot of guts coming to Berk when our Guild is close by," said Ruffnut.

"Yeah, even we wouldn't do that," Tuffnut nodded.

"Well, well what do we have here? You two should be amusing," said Brain.

"So you're Brain the Second of the _Neo-Oración Seis_ ," said Tuffnut.

"Can't say I'm impressed," said Ruffnut.

"Let's do this, sis!"

With that the twins are charged at Brain and the first thing Tuffnut did was unleash a volley of explosions towards Brain. However, Brain merely will waved his hand and the blast merely circled around him.

"Then take, _Gas Takedown!_ " Ruffnut yelled.

Suddenly a huge cloud of gas headed straight towards Brain.

"And some of this!" Tuffnut roared as he raised his hand.

"What a joke," said Brain.

Then in a split second Brain switched positions with Tuffnut and he was hit by the gas cloud. Unfortunately, at the time the cloud struck him, he was already getting an explosion ready and soon there was a massive explosion which consumed him.

"Hey, now treat my brother that way accept me!" Ruffnut yelled. " _Gas Punch!_ "

She then extended her hand and gas emerged out of them taking the form of fists and headed straight towards Brain. However, he quickly jumped into the air and dodge the fists of gas.

"I applaud you for trying, but no one can stop me," he said.

"Wanta bet!" Tuffnut's voice yelled.

Brain looked up and saw that somehow Tuffnut had recovered from the explosion and was now above him. He then extended his hand sending an explosion towards him, but it merely went around him and struck one of the supports in the chamber they were in.

Suddenly the two of them were struck by a powerful force was sent flying across the room.

"You have skill," Brain admitted looking down at them. "But you lack the resolve needed to achieve such power. For you see to achieve said power you need to sacrifice a greater price. I can tell by just looking at the two of you that you're not willing to make that kind of sacrifice."

* * *

Meanwhile Nexus was still looking down at the temple that he destroyed.

"It is time to complete my mission," he said and drew a red crystal dagger.

He then closes in his cannon and then fired at the ruined temple and seconds later there was a huge bright glow.

Byro looked up at Nexus. "What did you just do?"

"This does not concern you," said Nexus he then looked down at Byro. "You should focus on your own mission that the Archon gave you."

"Say what?" Byro glared.

"Maybe you should stay focused on me!" Hiccup yelled as he jumped at Nexus with a blazing fast.

"If you insist," said Nexus as he raised the palm of his hand ready to shoot him down with lightning. However the likely never came and Hiccup struck him in the head hard. "What? How did you hit me?"

The answer was quite simple, Byro had used as starting utilises magic. "You will suffer the consequences for this simple destruction," he growled.

Hiccup then punched Nexus hard in the chest. " _Fire Dragon's Blazing Claw!_ "

He hit him so hard in the chest plate shattered and then they saw the lacrima power source inside with a huge cracking it.

"What have you done?" Nexus roared. "You've damaged my lacrima power source, now I can't use my magic."

"About time you took a hit," said Hiccup as he drew _Inferno_ and immediately it glowed bright purple. "Now it's time to finish you wanted for all. _Fire Dragon's Plasma Blade!_ "

Hiccup then moved so fast that he disappeared and reappeared directly behind Nexus with his sword drawn. Then suddenly Nexus's arm was sliced off and before he had a chance to recover Hiccup turned.

" _Fire Dragon's Roar!_ " he yelled unleashing his breath attack.

His breath attack slammed right into Nexus melting the metal that he was made of and he collapsed to the ground.

Ruby then fell to her knees. "Something's wrong?" she frowned. "I've got this feeling. I don't know what it is, but it's bad."

The fake Sigrid immediately approached her. "Big Sister, don't worry," she said. "I'll be here no matter what."

* * *

Once Wartihog and Rubbella had recovered three of them quickly made their way towards the temple.

"I think the screaming came this way," said Wartihog.

When they reached the cliff their eyes opened in horror, because the temple was destroyed, the guards were unconscious and the _Celestial Viking_ was now in a golden husk, but still alive.

"This is horrible," Astrid stared. "What happened here?" She then turned her eyes upon the _Celestial Viking_. "So, that's why Cobra ran off. Monster."

* * *

Brain was deep within the temple within Berk and he had finally broken the magical barrier surrounding Wilhelm's grave marker. He also noticed that the statues that surrounded the chamber eyes began to glow and he knew instantly what this indicated.

"Ah, the _Celestial Viking Anti-Links_ are now complete," he smiled. He then turned the grave marker and destroyed it.

"Does that mean?" Tuffnut stared.

"No clue," said Ruffnut.

Brain then retrieved the ashes buried beneath the grave marker. "Their _Body-Links_ have all been severed. Oh, great Wilhelm the amplitude limiters have finally been released."

He then started to have the acetate the form of the skull and immediately black markings appear to it. They then dispelled and then he shattered the skull with just a wave of his hand.

"Now nothing stands in the way of your nightmare," he said.

* * *

In his chambers the Archon just stared in a daze.

"Soon it shall blanket the entire world, the chaos that was sealed has been set free! It will be unleashed upon unsuspecting world and the never-ending nightmare shall finally begin!" he yelled.

Where the _Neo-Oración Seis_ kept the Infinity Clock, it began to time and it turned out that it was located within the Grand Temple.

"The end is near! The end it is within our grasp! Yes, the end is near!" said the Archon almost joyfully.

Suddenly the very top spire of the temple began to glow in the clouds began to part and soon hovering directly above the temple was a huge floating ship. It was so large that everyone on the continent was able to see it and dark clouds began to form.

* * *

Astrid and her team so it almost instantly.

"What the heck?" Wartihog stared. "Come on, this is gotta be some kind of joke."

"Do you hear that sound?" Astrid asked.

* * *

Merrill and Dogsbreath just stared at the ship as it floated in mid-air.

"The Infinity Clock has been released," said Merrill.

* * *

Dogsbreath just stared. "What? That can't be it, it's way too big."

"That is indeed the Infinity Clock," said Dagur. "It was hidden above the Grand Temple of the _Temple of Thor_."

"Now what happens?" said Dogsbreath looking unsure.

* * *

Heather and Eret just stared up into the sky wondering what it could be.

"You won't find this version of the _Temple of Thor's_ doctrine in your history books," said Grat as he picked himself up. "This is where good and evil come together, where the beginning meets the end. We did exactly what High Priest Vex told us to do and the Archon told him. I don't know what they want to do with this, but honestly it's not like I need to know. For the doctrine of the _Temple of Thor_ means that victory is ours."

* * *

The Exceeds were flying and they saw the huge ship in the distance.

"Where did that ship come from?" Toothless stared.

"It appears we're too late," said Windshear. "If only I had wasted so much time doubting myself."

"I shudder to think about what's going to happen next," said Stormfly.

"Then you best prepare yourself, because I have a feeling that were going to land straight into the middle of it," said Cloudjumper.

Windshear then parted ways with them and headed straight towards the ship.

"Where are you going, Windshear?" Skullcrusher called.

"To see the truth of my own eyes," said Windshear. "I'm going to the _Grand Temple_ of the _Temple of Thor_."

"Wait, you never told us what orders High Priest Vex gave you and Byro!" Toothless yelled.

However, Windshear was too far way to hear him.

"Be careful, Valyya," said Skullcrusher.

Suddenly changed launched from the ship and attach themselves to the continent and from the Senate room Vex merely smiled. Brain also witnessed the change landing in all different directions from the top of Berk's temple.

* * *

Hiccup and the others just stared upon seeing the chains.

"This is not good," said Hiccup.

"It would appear that the _Infinity Clock_ has been activated," said Byro.

"Oh, no!" Ruby gasped in horror. "We've got to find a way to stop it."

"I'm afraid… I cannot help you that," said Byro as he turned to look at her. "I've been aboard it to take you to the High Priest, Ruby Heartfull."

"What?" Hiccup stared.

"Why now all of a sudden?" Ruby frowned. "What could he possibly want with me?"

"I don't quite understand it either, but it's my duty to follow orders so please cooperate," said Byro honestly.

"In case you haven't noticed we've got bigger problems," said Hiccup.

"He's right! I could care less about your orders," Ruby yelled. "Just look up into the sky, we can't waste any time! I know you're just trying to do the right thing, but deep down you've got to know that's not it."

"No I don't," said Byro.

"Byro," said the voice of Nexus.

Nexus was in complete ruins, his entire body was melted, he was missing an arm and all his bits and pieces in all different directions and his head was looked to build for the moment. His lacrima power source was also beginning to fail indicating he did had much time before he lost power.

"You're only making this hard on yourself by thinking," he said. "Why are you hesitating? Just follow the doctrine and follow your orders."

"Why would he listen to you?" Hiccup glared. "You're a member of the _Oración Seis_."

"Actually, I'm not," said Nexus. "I was merely created in order to replace our six-member."

Ruby frowned. "Replaced? Wait, you mean you were a member of the _Oración Seis_?"

"There's no need to hide the truth any longer. The time has come to reveal yourself my mistress," he said turning his head towards Sigrid. "Shed disguise that you're hiding behind and show these friends of yours who you really are."

Immediately both Hiccup and Ruby turned towards her.

"What? Sigrid?" Ruby stared. She then turned and glared at Nexus. "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. If you're trying to confuse me it's not going to work you heap of junk. That girl is Sigrid Lobster and she's like family, she's my sis. She travelled the whole world to fight me and give me my dad memento, she's the only family I've got since he's gone."

Hiccup then looked at Sigrid. "Ruby, you don't remember playing with when you are a kid and all this trouble started when she showed up at the Guild."

Ruby stared at him. "You can't say that you're buying this." She then approached Sigrid and grasped her hands and looked into her face. "Don't worry, I won't fall his tricks. I know better than to believe anything that heap of junk has to say."

Sigrid just stood there in complete silence not showing any emotion and then she looked away from Ruby.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Ruby asked. Tears started to form in her eyes. "Sigrid, please tell me it's not true. Please."

Hiccup held it tight grip on the handle of his blade. "Ruby, stand back."

Sigrid then shouted Ruby back and tears formed in her eyes. "I'm sorry I hurt you, Big Sister."

Then suddenly she began to glow a bright purple apart from her left eye which was a dark purple. Both Hiccup and Ruby watched as she transformed her attire and when the globe finally banished she stood there as a changed person.

Her right eye is covered by a rose eye patch, which was now glowing red when she is not wearing the patch. She wore a short, strapless shirt made entirely of dark green petals, and she wore a long, dark green gloves that reach to the top of her arms. She wore a short wide skirt made of dark green petals that point sideways and she also wore pouch-like boots. Her left arm and both her legs are adorned by light green thorny vines.

Upon seeing the Ruby was utterly heartbroken. "Why Sigrid?"

"You see, I am surely a member of the _Neo-Oración Seis_ , the mistress of deception they call me Imitatia," she said with an emotionless voice. Tears began to form in Ruby's eyes. "We needed you and your friends to gather the parts of the Infinity Clock and assemble it for us that's why I took the form of Sigrid Lobster, it was the only way I could earn your trust."

"How could you be so cruel?" Ruby cried. "I treated you like family."

"We're willing to do whatever it takes to emerge victorious," said Imitatia. "We attacked the temples in order to sever all known Body-Links thereby releasing the seals on the Infinity Clock." She then extended her hand. "Now that goal has been achieved you are the only one we still need, Big Sister Ruby."

Ruby just stared at her, she couldn't believe this was the same person she considered to be a sister. "What's wrong with you?" She then slowly approached her. "Wait, I know. They must be controlling you with the spell. Don't worry I'll help you."

Ruby extended her hand towards her, but Hiccup pulled her back not fooled by the deception any longer.

"Stay away from her," he said placing himself between her and Imitatia.

Hiccup and Imitatia glared at one another and then Hiccup drew _Inferno_ and set it ablaze with purple flames.

"So you were lying to us the entire time, Sigrid," said Hiccup.

Imitatia raised her hand up and then a shield appeared in a hand which was shaped like a rose with the _Neo-Oración Seis_ crest upon it.

"That's not my name," she said and the shield began to spin like a chainsaw.

"Then you're going down," said Hiccup charging towards her.

"No stop!" Ruby pleaded.

Hiccup immediately stopped when his sword was inches away from Imitatia's face. Unfortunately, Imitatia did not hesitate it and she slammed him with her shield which was attached to her arm by a vine with thorns upon it. The impact was so hard that it knocked Hiccup unconscious and he fell to the ground.

Byro just stared open-mouthed, but Nexus, whose power was beginning to wane just watched.

"Nice work, mistress," he said.

Imitatia then turned to Byro. "Byro, don't tell me you've forgotten the orders Vex gave you. Take Ruby Heartfull back to him at once."

Byro merely glared at her. "You are in no position to tell me what to do. My loyalty lies with the _Temple of Thor_."

Suddenly Imitatia tossed a golden object into his face and it fell to the ground. Byro looked at it and saw that it bears the crest of the Temple of Thor.

"That belongs to the Archon," he stared in horror.

"Whoever holds his gold welds the same authority as the Archon himself," said Nexus.

"From this point forward my orders and the Archon's are one and the same," said Imitatia.

Reluctantly Byro went down on his knees. "Very well, as you wish."

"What of the Dragon Slayer, mistress," Nexus asked. "Are you going to kill him?"

"No, I want to bring him with us," said Imitatia. "I have a feeling that he'll become quite useful as a hostage."

"As you wish mistress, but sadly it would seem I time is up," said Nexus regretfully. "My power is draining."

"You have serve your purpose well, Nexus," said Imitatia.

"It was a pleasure to serve with you, mistress," said Nexus in the next few seconds his eyes went dark as it how was completely drained.

Kanaloa then appeared making his way towards Byro and Imitatia drew a sword which held resemble that of a rose with the _Neo-Oración Seis_ emblem engraved on it.

Ruby then approached Imitatia hoping to convince out of this madness. "Please, Sigrid. Just talk to me…"

Imitatia then slammed the hilt of her sword into her stomach and Ruby fell into her arms. Imitatia looked around and noticed that someone was missing.

"It would seem as if the other one has gotten away," she noted.

Snotlout had regained consciousness and was now hiding behind a boulder. He had seen the entire thing transpire and knew that he stood no chance with freeing Hiccup and Ruby. Instead he grabbed a card Agatha gave him in order contact the Guild.

"We're in trouble," he whispered.

"What did you say?" Speedfist asked from the card. "Can you speak up? Seriously I can barely hear you. You there? Hey, Snotlout!"


	20. Real Nightmare

Hiccup awoke to find himself in a prison cell.

"What happened?" he said looking around.

"You been putting the clink," said a voice behind him.

Hiccup turned and saw Gruffnut sitting on the bed with his arms folded.

"Gruffnut?" Hiccup stared. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm more interested in what you're doing here after all you're not a thief like me," said Gruffnut.

Hiccup thought back and remember how we got knocked out by Imitatia, who had been pretending to be Sigrid Lobster all this time. He also remembered that Ruby was with him at the time.

"Ruby?" he stared. He then turned to Gruffnut. "Where is she?"

"Beats me, the only other person I've seen it all the guards when they tossed you in here and you were alone," said Gruffnut.

"There was no one else with me?" Hiccup asked. He then turned the cell and grabbed hold of bars. "What did you do with Ruby?"

Suddenly he was blasted back with some kind of magical blast black and slammed into the wall.

"You all right?" Gruffnut asked.

"I'm fine, but what happened," said Hiccup picking himself up.

"There some kind of barrier and am willing to bet that it utilises magic," said Gruffnut.

"That certainly makes things difficult," Hiccup grimaced.

Gruffnut laughed. "More like an impossible, no one has ever escaped here."

"I can't accept that," said Hiccup.

"The sooner you do the better," said Gruffnut. "But if you want out may I suggest that the two of us put our heads together."

Hiccup didn't completely trust Gruffnut, but he knew that he wanted out of here just as much as he did.

"Agreed," said Hiccup turning towards him. "Perhaps running into you was good fortune."

"Looks like one the same team," said Gruffnut getting to his feet.

Hiccup folded his arms. "How about you start by telling me what you're doing here."

"One could argue that I'm merely a victim of my own circumstances. As a master thief I'm drawn to treasure like a moth to flame," said Gruffnut looking quite proud of himself. "I did some snooping and found out that you and your guild will looking for some kind of clock treasure and that that treasure was linked to this temple."

"Whoa, you did your homework," said Hiccup impressively. "Are you sure you're related to Ruff and Tuff?"

"Hiccup, we been plugged into an underground network," said Gruffnut modestly. "I merely asked a few questions here and there and put the pieces together which led me here. Because this place makes us these honest."

Hiccup looked up. "What do you mean?"

* * *

Gruffnut had managed to sneak his way into the Senate Room and quickly uses Stealth Magic to vanish just as High Priest Vex and another High Priest entered.

"You're Eminence, concerning the Archon's mental state, I'm afraid we can't keep it under wraps much longer," said the High Priest.

"Have the pilgrims outside caught wind of it?" Vex asked.

"It doesn't appear so quite yet."

"Excellent, we need to present his Holiness to the public until the _Founding Festival_ is already underway and if anyone chooses to spread unwelcome rumours I'll order Grat the Cleaner to eliminate them."

Gruffnut gulped upon hearing this.

* * *

"Of course, soon as I heard that I got out of there as quickly as I could," said Gruffnut. "That was easier said than done. I was captured, but thankfully they didn't seem to have any clue that I heard their plans." He then started to shake with fear. "But if the higher up ever find out that I know exactly what they're up to, I'm going to get eliminated for sure."

"Pull yourself together," said Hiccup.

Gruffnut raised an eyebrow. "If you got a plan to get out of this without using magic, I'm all ears."

"We're going to burst out of here, because I've got better things to do," said Hiccup. "Number one is saving Ruby and number two is stopping High Priest Vex."

"And how do you plan on doing?" Gruffnut asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Actually I do have a plan," Hiccup smiled. He then bent down to his leg and pulled out a capsule. "They may have taken my blade, but they failed to my spare containers." He then held at the container to Gruffnut. "This container contains gas courtesy of Ruffnut and you know how strong it is."

Gruffnut smiled upon seeing that.

* * *

Meanwhile the Guildhall everyone had finally met up and everyone was quite confused with the recent events.

"With someone mind explaining what's going on here?" Ragnar asked.

"It would seem as if Sigrid's true identity is the sixth member of the _Neo-Oracion Seis_ ," said Astrid.

"Yeah, she was just acting all cute and sweet to fool us," Snotlout grumbled.

"This is terrible," said Toothless.

"What's worse is that they now have Hiccup and Ruby," said Snotlout clenching his fists in frustration. "And it's my fault. I was powerless to stop any of it from happening."

"Don't be so hard on yourself," said Adelaide.

"I deserve some of the boring," said Agatha.

"Why? What do you mean?" Astrid frowned.

"My cards didn't say anything about Brain the Second showing up at the Berk Temple, but they usually right on the money," she said holding out the cards. "And I'm sure no one would argue that the teams I picked worked very well, right? Nobody was on the same page."

"I can definitely see your point," Ragnar nodded.

"We didn't agree on anything," said Snotlout.

"Do you think an outside force use your cards against us?" Astrid asked.

"It's possible," said Agatha.

"All that running around was just a big waste of time," said Ragnar.

"Not entirely, Merrill and Dogsbreath managed to take down Grim Reaper," said Cloudjumper.

"That's true, but both Hiccup and Ruby have been kidnapped and no doubt are being used as hostages," said Valka.

"We can't waste any more time feeling sorry for ourselves," said Merrill. "Hiccup and Ruby are in some serious trouble right now and we need to figure out what we can do to help them."

"Merrill, is right we need to act," said Toothless.

"Excuse me," said a voice.

Everyone turned and Toothless' eyes widened upon seeing you it was. It was none other than Bjorn and his research team.

"You're those archaeologists that we met on the ship," said Toothless.

Stoick looked at them suspiciously. "Is there something you want?"

"We came looking for Miss Ruby Heartfull, we're here on the behalf of the Septem Archaeological Society you see," said Bjorn.

* * *

Meanwhile at in the loft, Brila was sitting upright in bed as if she was in a daze.

"I hear someone outside," she said.

* * *

Stoick soon led the archaeologists inside and was looking at Bjorn with curiosity.

"What you want with Ruby?" he asked.

"And who are you?" Bjorn asked.

"My name is Stoick and I am _Dragon Tail's_ Guild Master. You'll have to talk to me instead."

"This is a matter of extreme importance," said the dwarf. "So it's imperative that we speak with her directly."

"Indeed, it concerns the strange object in the sky," said the elf.

"I'm afraid that's impossible, because she was captured by the _Neo-Oracion Seis_ along with Hiccup," said Toothless.

"This is troubling," said the dwarf.

"Can't you talk to us?" Astrid asked with a slightly pleading face. "We desperately need all the information we can gather right now."

Bjorn nodded. "With the situation unfolding as we speak there's no reason to keep it a secret." He then looked of them. "I assume it's safe to presume that you're familiar with the name Wilheim the Curator? You say I'm actually his great-grandson. My name is Bjorn."

Upon hearing this information everyone stared.

"This is certainly a surprise," said Astrid.

"And what's more I knew Ruby's father as well," Bjorn continued. "Magnus Heartfull and I were quite good friends."

"You knew Ruby's dad?" said Ragnar. "You mind explaining how he fits in?"

"It's a long story, but let me begin by stating that it is my duty to keep watch over the Infinity Clock for as long as I live."

"If that is true then are you a _Celestial Viking_ also?" Stoick asked.

"No I'm not, but like my family I am intermittently familiar the history of the Clock. My lifelong goal is to stave off the chaos it can bring and sound the alarm if that threat becomes reality. I remember when this started, it was several months ago.

"The hand of the Infinity Clock was discovered on a day at an ancient excavation site. Apparently it was buried in the ruins to contain is tremendous magic power. By the time _our_ Archaeological Society received word that it had been unearthed it had already been taken off the premises.

"The hand eventually ended up in Magnus Heartfull's possession, he was the collector of such things you say. Thankfully it wasn't difficult to detect because of its immense magic power. We were quite fortunate, because in the wrong hands it could be extremely dangerous.

"I contacted Magnus immediately in the hopes of preventing any pending chaos that might actually happen. To contain the power emanating from the hand, I carefully wrapped it up in a magical cloth. At that point me in Magnus made an agreement, he would take steps to ensure its safety and move it to another location in tightly."

"So that's why it was sent here to Ruby," said Stoick rubbing his beard. "It's all starting to make sense now."

"I'm still a bit puzzled about who created the Clock and why," said Valka curiously.

"There are many myths and legends regarding, the one that stands most of all was that it was a weapon to use against Drago Bludvist during the Dragon War 800 years ago. It was created by someone named the Chronicler, who hope to use it to take away Drago's immortality."

"The Chronicler?" Merrill lit up.

"She was the woman that led us to you," said Helga.

"Not much is known about apart from her title," said Bjorn. "Anyway, when she realised that the Clock could also be used to destroy the world she immediately stopped assembling it and scattered across the continent and that is when my ancestor pounded and sealed it away."

"Okay so it was supposed to use as a weapon against Drago, but what does it do now and why is it so dangerous?" Astrid asked curiously.

"The Clock has the power to bring about something quite horrific. A grand spell that is known by the name of _Real Nightmare_."

"And what happens once the spell is cast?" Stoick asked.

"It can dramatically alter the perception of time for all living things. You see, without being the case, I guess you can actually say that it has control over time itself."

"It is a rather difficult concept to explain, because it doesn't actually manipulate time per say," said the elf.

"But it does in fact greatly alter _our_ perception of time," said the dwarf.

"I don't follow you," Ragnar frowned.

"Yeah, neither do I," said Snotlout scratching the top of his head.

"This control over time is what the inscription refers to the 'inevitable chaos,'" the dwarf explained.

"And you're saying this is gonna bring about the end of the world?" Ragnar frowned. "It doesn't make any sense to me."

"Just think about it for a moment," said Bjorn turning towards him. "What time is it now? What is it you're actually doing right now? Who are you having this conversation with now? Imagine what would happen if you lost all concept of what _now_ means. You would lose your understanding of all time related concepts. A person sense of self is derived from their memories and past experiences. If they were suddenly thrown into disarray."

"Then we would lose our very identities," Astrid finished.

"That is definitely chaos," said Valka grimly.

"I don't think I would even begin to describe it," said Ragnar.

"The Infinity Clock is hovering right above the _Temple of Thor_ Ggrand Temple," said Stoick. "From what I understand their doctrine is heavily intertwined with it."

"According to legend, the Temple of Thor itself was founded by a group of survivors from the clock past chaos. They sealed away all of its pieces and forbid any discussion of its existence," Bjorn explained. "To this very day, it has remained a well-guarded secret known only the temple higher electrons. It commemorates magic, which is released every 100 years throughout history evildoers have sought to harness its power therefore I have a formal request, a job that I hope the _Dragon Tail_ Guild will take on. Please stop this from happening, stop the _Infinity Clock_."

"Isn't that what we plan to do?" Snotlout frowned still scratching his head.

"Sure is," said Ragnar.

"And we can rescue Hiccup and Ruby at the same time," said Toothless.

Stoick nodded in agreement. "All right, we'll gladly take the job. I promise that will stop the Clock or die trying."

* * *

Ruby was in some kind of chamber and appear to be fastened to some sort of lens. In front of her were both Brain and Imitatia.

"The _Infinity Ship_ rises again and soon we will spread chaos all across the land," said Brian. "Soon I shall complete my father's legacy as was originally intended. For you see you as he lay the groundwork and we merely followed his instructions. Of course, this would not have been possible if you had not tricked the _Celestial Viking_ , Imitatia."

Ruby was still quite heartbroken after the revelation with Imitatia. "Sigrid, please, tell me why. Why did you do this to me?"

"My name is Imitatia," she said. "I am not Sigrid, get it through your thick skull."

"This _Celestial Viking_ is the final piece to the puzzle," said Brian. "Now the never-ending nightmare can begin."

* * *

Meanwhile everyone was getting prepared to storm the Grand Temple in the _Dragon Tail_ Guild.

"You realise that has kept the Infinity Clock sealed away all these years was actually the _Anti-Link_ spells the _Celestial Vikings_ were maintaining don't you?" said Bjorn.

"We heard about that," Ragnar nodded remembering what Valkyrie had done with that _Celestial Viking_. "That's why the _Neo-Oracion Seis_ was targeting them. To sever those links, right?"

"Yes, but did you know that once their _Body-Links_ were severed the _Celestial Vikings_ are actually cursed to sleep for 100 years? Frozen in a kind of chrysalis state?" Bjorn asked.

"A chrysalis?" Ragnar blinked.

"What do you mean?" Snotlout asked.

* * *

In the _Infinity Ship_ , Brain was explaining this to Ruby.

" _Body-Link_ demand a tremendous amount of magic power and whenever an _Anti-Link_ is severed the resulting reaction can causes time to slow down to a crawl for that Vikings mind and body. This puts them in a kind of sleeping state for 100 years. In essence, this sacrifice is what allows us to take control of the Infinity Clock."

"But their people?" Ruby yelled horrifyingly. "You can't do that to them!"

"Obviously I can."

The same Ruby was sick would have been an understatement.

Imitatia looked up at her. "Your friends fled for seven years, right?"

"Yes, but you're talking about _100 years_!" Ruby yelled furiously. "That's too horrible to imagine. I know seven years might not sound longer but it was excruciating, it was so confusing and painful time kept going for everyone else but everyone else it stood still. You can never understand how it felt, that time was stolen from us forever. At the very least we had all our friends awaiting us when we finally woke up, but these people won't have anyone. Their loved ones will be gone."

"It's sad, but true," Brain admitted. "That's why it's a curse and now that same curse will befall you."

Ruby looked at Imitatia pleadingly. "Sigrid, our friendship was real to me I know. I never lied to you about that."

Imitatia approached her. "This is for your sake, Sister."

Ruby just stared at her. "You expect me to believe that you're doing this for my sake after you all of your lies? How could you?"

"Believe me or not, they were all just lies."

"We're you lying about my Dad? About me? Did you really see me as your Big Sister?" Ruby glared.

Imitatia looks slightly hurt. "Ruby…" She then looked away.

"Enough," said Brain. "As much as this is entertaining we have real work to do."

Imitatia nodded. "You're right. So let's begin."

"Of course, if you're ready." He then turned to Ruby. "Ruby Heartfull, the time has come to say goodbye."

* * *

At the Guildhall Bjorn was taking them outside where there was a large metal case on the front yard.

"I'm extremely grateful that you accept my request," he said. He then looked on Astrid. "Freyja, I have something especially for you."

"What is it?" Astrid asked curiously.

"Let me show you."

He then opened the container and sitting there was a very large hammer with the _Temple of Thor_ emblem on it.

"It is an item that was discovered along with the clock hand at the excavation site," he explained. "It is believed to have been designed by the Chronicler and forged by the founders of the Temple of Thor. It is said to warn away evil, like the original Mjolnir."

Astrid grabbed a hammer and pulled it out of its container. It certainly looked extremely heavy, but Astrid was able to carry it would be greatest of ease.

"I'm certain that only you are the only one that is actually strong enough to wheel this weapon in the way that it was originally intended," said Bjorn.

"Thank you," said Astrid gratefully. "I'll do my best."

"You've got this Astrid," said Ragnar confidently.

"Of course, we'll do whatever we can to offer our assistance," said Bjorn. "Mainly by continuing our research on how to stop _Real Nightmare_."

"Thank you," said Stoick gratefully. "We appreciate the help."

"Any ideas on how we're going to attack these jerks?" Snotlout asked.

"Don't you worry," said Agatha holding out a card. "Help is on the way."

* * *

Meanwhile at the headquarters of the Viking Council, Alistair was looking down at the Surveillance Lacrima with one of his men.

"This is an excellent find. Very good work," he said.

"It's the only surveillance Lacrima we can locate," said his man. "It wasn't easy, but we were able to recover some of the footage from it as well."

"I see, can you show me this footage?" Alistair asked.

"Sir."

The man then extended his hand over the lacrima and an image began to form of the prison. Alistair then saw a priest on a platform making his way to one of the cells.

"This is the only known image of the priest that we know that regularly visited the _Oracion Seis_."

The priest stopped at the cell containing Cobra and then his head turned.

"Right there! Enhance the image!" Alistair ordered.

"Yes, sir."

The man then zoomed in on to the priest and upon seeing him Alistair's blood ran cold, because he knew the man. He had in fact met the man on a previous occasion, because it was none other than High Priest Vex, the man who had taken command of the _Temple of Thor_.

"By Thor," said the man before he too recognised him.

"By Thor is right," said Alistair horrified. "It was him all along, High Priest Vex. He's been working with them."

* * *

Hiccup meanwhile was setting up the canister on the cell wall.

"Okay that should just about do it," he said.

"Is on the gas magical though?" Speedfist asked.

"Trust me I there without before and in response I mixed some regular gas inside of it," said Hiccup. "In theory it should work, but now we just need to light it."

"I'll handle that part," said Gruffnut and reached into his pocket. He then pulled out a box of matches.

"How come no one took those off you?" Hiccup asked.

"They didn't seem to figure was important," said Gruffnut. "Besides you aim to see your canisters inside."

"Point," Hiccup shrugged.

"Only how are we going to light the thing?" Gruffnut asked.

"Oh, I've also got some oil in another canister," said Hiccup pulling out a second canister.

"Boy, these guys really need to step up their security," said Gruffnut.

"I don't do it in the next 30 seconds," said Hiccup.

* * *

Outside the _Dragon Tail_ Guild, they were soon saw the _Christina Advanced_ from _Blue Pegasus_ appearing above them.

"Hey, is the _Christina Advanced_ ," said Merrill happily.

" _Blue Pegasus_ , now that what I'm talking about," said Snotlout.

Suddenly jumping off the figurehead was none other than Olatrand and apparently he had to learn how to land on his two feet, because he clashed in the pavement.

"My beautiful face," he groaned.

"We're counting on this guy?" said Ragnar with a slightly sceptical voice.

"We need a ship to get to the Infinity Clock, unless you know how to fly it's the only way," said Agatha.

"I know, but can we have got another pilot?" Ragnar asked.

Stoick then approached him. "My son has been captured and the entire world is threatened, I could care less who pilots the damn ship."

"Understood, sir," said Ragnar slightly nervous.

"My predictions will be right on this time," said Agatha as the assault team began to board the _Christina Advanced_. "We're going to be very careful about who is going on the _Christina Advanced_ , because we're gonna need a strong team here on the ground too."

* * *

Soon the _Christina Advanced_ began to took off into the air heading towards the Grand Temple. Astrid was placed in command of the assault group which consisted of Ragnar, Merrill, Snotlout, Eret, Valka, Wartihog and the Exceeds.

"Comrades, an assault on the Infinity Clock is now ready to begin," said Olatrand standing at the bridge of the ship. "So away we go, man!"

Unfortunately, they didn't get very far when the entire ship struck and they started to lose height.

"Hey, I thought you knew how to fly this thing!" Snotlout yelled.

Astrid looked at Olatrand. "Is there a problem?"

"We've taken damage to the hull," said Olatrand completely confused.

"Stay here, me and Cloudjumper will check on it," said Valka.

"We'll be as quick as we can," said Cloudjumper and the two of them rushed out of the bridge.

"Oh, man," said Olatrand as he tried to keep the ship steady.

"Hey, I'll come with you!" Snotlout yelled following them.

* * *

When they made their way onto the deck they saw the smoke emanating from a hole in the hull.

"What do you think happened?" Snotlout asked.

"Looks like sabotage to me," said Cloudjumper. "I think we got a stowaway on board."

"You're right about that," said Valka.

The two of them turned and saw another hole on the deck which was large enough for a single person to squeeze through.

"But who can done this?" Snotlout asked.

"Someone who doesn't want us to reach the Infinity Clock," said Valka.

She then quickly sent something behind and turned only be knocked aside by a powerful force.

"Auntie Valka!" Snotlout cried.

"Valka!" Cloudjumper yelled.

He turned around and saw that appearing right in front of him was none other than Racer, who remained on all fours.

"It's the _Neo-Oracion Seis_ ," said Snotlout.

"That's Racer," said Valka winced.

"We have to take them out before he destroys the ship," said Cloudjumper.

"Just leave this to me," said Snotlout.

"You will fall, fool," said Racer and he vanished.

"He's gone," said Snotlout looking around wildly.

Suddenly there were small explosions indicating that Racer was striking the ship at full speed.

Snotlout then performed his iron armour and charged at Racer the moment he reappeared. "You're going down!" he roared.

However, Racer vanished and attacked Snotlout multiple times within a few seconds. Snotlout then collapsed onto the deck already worn out without even swinging a single punch.

"To slow," said Racer as he appeared behind him.

Valka then walked up with her staff in hand. "You made a mistake," she said glaring at him.

"Are you as fast as I am?" Racer smirked.

"You want to see," said Valka spinning her staff over her head she then charged at him. "Cloudjumper with me!"

"You got it," said Cloudjumper something in his wings and grabbed her shirt.

Valka then tackled Racer and the three of them flew off the deck of the ship.

"Valka!" Snotlout yelled rushing to the edge.

"Cloudjumper and I can handle Racer by ourselves, just save my son!" she yelled as they flew down towards the ground.

* * *

On the bridge, the rest of the team saw Valka and Cloudjumper flyby with Racer.

"Did you just say that?" Merrill asked.

"It was Racer," said Ragnar.

"And Valka," Astrid breathed.

"Along with Cloudjumper," Toothless added.

Ragnar then turned to Olatrand. "We need to help them out."

"I'm sorry, but we can't right now," said Olatrand.

Snotlout then re-entered the bridge. "Let my Aunt Valka take care of that guy."

"What?" Ragnar stared.

"You sure?" Merrill asked.

"Yeah, we've got to keep going," said Snotlout. "Hurry!"

"All right, but we need to make some repairs first," said Olatrand noticing that the Christina Advanced was still descending. "Everyone lend a hand!"

"On it," said Ragnar as everyone rushed towards the deck.

Astrid however leaned against the window look down on the ground knowing that Valka was battling against Racer as they spoke.

"Just be careful, please," she pleaded.

* * *

Valka and Racer were still plummeting down to the ground. Cloudjumper then pulled out of the dive and Racer continue to fall to the ground.

She then spun her staff over her head. " _Sky Dragon's Wind Slice!_ " she roared.

She then swung her staff sending a powerful gust of wind down on top of Racer causing him to crash into the ground and much faster rate.

"Nice move," said Cloudjumper. "He may be fast, but he can't fly and he most certainly can't dodge in midair."

"Stay mindful, he will not go down that easy," Valka warned.

She was right, Racer had already recovered and peered on a stone ledge behind. Valka turned and saw that he was gazing up at the _Christina Advanced_ and realise that it was still low enough in the sky for him to hop back onto.

Racer then jumped into the air and Valka flew back up to stop him.

"Stop!" she yelled swinging a punch of wind that him.

However, he quickly blocked it vanished and reappeared next to her swinging a fist at him. Fortunately she was able to block it and swung a powerful kick towards him, but yet again he vanished and reappeared behind her on a stone ledge.

"You're in the way," he said and quickly banished before she could turn her head.

He then started to zigzag through the canyon and then slammed both legs into her chest. The impact was powerful enough to send both she and Cloudjumper line into the canyon wall. Racer then appeared directly in front of the rubble.

However, there was a powerful gust of wind that blew the debris away. Now hovering in front of him was Valka and she looked back already.

"Let's see if you can out run the wind!" she yelled and charged at him. " _Sky Dragon's Tornado Claw!"_

She then slammed the fifth of wind down on top of him and he barely had time to dodge the attack. The attack however was strong enough to destroy the blockage he had been standing on indicating how strong she was.

Racer then began zooming around like a wild animal across the canyon and Valka began to gave chase.

* * *

"Be safe my charges, please come back in one piece," said Stoick as he stood in front of the Guildhall.

Helga then ran outside joining the others. "Hey, Brila is not here," she said.

Agatha quickly turned and stared. "She's not?"

"Is there a problem?" Stoick asked looking at Gobber, noticing that his old friend was quite troubled.

"Well, her attacks have been happening more frequently over the past several days," said Gobber.

"That's not good," said Stoick.

Brila was wondering through the mountain wilderness for she could still hear a voice in our head guiding her towards it.

* * *

Meanwhile Hiccup had just finished preparing the little explosive that he and Gruffnut prepared.

"Okay, light it up!" said Hiccup.

"With pleasure," said Gruffnut and lit the oil with a match.

Immediately the flame went to the oil towards the capsule Hiccup had placed in the wall and immediately exploded starting a fire. At the same time Hiccup and Gruffnut ran towards the cell bars and began yelling as loudly as they could.

"There's a fire, hurry! Help us! You've got to get out of here!" Hiccup yelled at the top of his voice.

"This is a false alarm!" Gruffnut yelled.

Nearby was Valyya and she could hear Hiccup's voice and she could see smoke close by.

"That voice," she stared and saw several guards running past herself towards the smoke.

The guard reached the cell and saw the fire and Hiccup and Gruffnut yelling at top of their voices.

"We need an Extinguisher Lacrima!" said a guard.

"Go get one now!" said the captain. He then turned the prisoners. "We'll let you out for a minute so just calm down."

The captain then extended his hand and instantly the bars on the cell began to melt away.

"Now get moving!" said a guard.

"Relax," said Hiccup.

Then suddenly he punched the captain across the face and slammed his prosthetic leg into the gutter of the guard behind him knocking the two of them out cold.

"You're certainly stronger than the last time I saw you," said Gruffnut.

"That was like 15 years ago," Hiccup reminded as he found in Inferno strapped to the Captain's belt and retreated. Hiccup then saw more guards heading their way. "We need to get moving."

"Leave them to me," said Gruffnut cracking his knuckles.

He suddenly vanished and the guards began looking around wildly for him. Then a few seconds later something invisible hit them knocking them out cold and Gruffnut reappeared.

"You're not the only one who has improved," said Gruffnut with a slight smile.

"So I see," said Hiccup. "Now we need to find Ruby ASSP."

They started making their way across the prison.

"Hold on!" said a familiar voice.

Hiccup start and then saw Valyya in a cell much to his surprise. "Valyya? What in the name of Thor are you doing here?"

"Clearly she got caught doing something wrong," said Gruffnut folding his arms.

"Please take me with you," Valyya pleaded.

* * *

Meanwhile Vex was in the chambers of the Archon when a guard rushed over towards him and whispered something in his ear.

Vex looks slightly impressed. "Oh, so the Fire Viking has escaped."

"What are your orders, sir?"

Vex turned to the Archon with a smile. "I'm afraid he's already too late. _Real Nightmare_ , is on the verge of activating."

* * *

Meanwhile in the _Infinity Ship_ , Ruby began opening her eyes. However, they were completely lifeless as if she was in some sort of trance.

"Now the never-ending nightmare can finally begin!" Brain announced. "Sweet chaos, suffocate this world with your embrace!"

Suddenly the sound of the Infinity Clock began to chime and the chains attaching the ship to the continent began to shudder.


	21. Time Spiral

Hiccup and his friends were in deep trouble for the Celestial Viking seals that was holding the Infinity Clock in place had been broken and chaos was spreading across the continent. Time had richly become chaotic as the old became young and vice a versa, the flow of waterfalls flowing backwards and towns and cities turning to dust.

Knowing that this would be the case Alistair contacted the Viking Council in the hopes that they could act.

"You think High Priest Vex was the one that helped the _Neo-Oración Seis_ escaped from prison?" said Heyral.

"Yes, sir," said Alistair from the hologram. "In fact I'm certain of it. With your permission, I'd like to investigate further."

"I'm sorry, but I simply cannot allow you to do that," said Heyral.

Alistair stared at him. "I don't understand, can you tell me why sir?"

"It's for your own safety, you don't realise the power that the _Temple of Thor_ holds," said Heyral.

"But sir—"

However the Council room quickly vanished and he found himself back in his office. He turned and looked at Alron, who was standing there.

"Well, I tried, but no luck," said Alistair.

"I know, I heard," said Alron.

"I'm sorry, I can't believe the Council has rendered me powerless. If I can't act in a crisis how my supposed to lead the Honour Guard?"

Alron placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't lose heart, man. If they're not going to help this then we'll just have to do it without them."

Alistair nodded with a smile. "Thank you, Alron."

* * *

Meanwhile at the Grand Temple all the priests were beginning to panic due to the large ship floating above them and the chaos it was bringing upon the land. Suddenly a holographic image of the Archon himself appeared in the sky.

"Look it's the Archon!"

"Please tell us what is happening, you're Excellency."

"Why has time suddenly turned chaotic?"

"Does it have something to do with the Infinity Clock appearance?"

"Does this signify the world is coming to an end?"

"Please, give us some answers, Archon?"

The Archon then raised a hand to silence everyone. "Let me assure you, there is no reason to be afraid. This is simply the only way. The _Temple of Thor_ can rectify the world." Immediately everyone began to talk amongst themselves. "After the rectification. The world shall be reborn from that point forward it shall follow a new path."

Behind the Archon was Vex and a small smile appeared on his face.

The hologram then faded and Byro who had heard every single word just stood there deeply troubled and conflicted. To him it sounded as if they were going to use the _Neo-Oración Seis_ to destroy the temples, eliminating all _Body-Link Celestial Vikings_ and then plunged time into chaos. Though the biggest question was whether that would truly save the world and until we can learn the answer to that question he was duty-bound to sacrifice the girl and protect the Infinity Clock much to his regret.

* * *

Within the Infinity Ship, Ruby was slowly sinking into the lens she was trapped in and watching this with great interest was Imitatia.

* * *

Meanwhile the _Christina Advanced_ had finally been repaired and was now flying the need Infinity Ship. Standing on the figurehead was Olatrand, who was trying to make himself heroic.

"Man, hang in there Hiccup and Ruby, I Olatrand along with his elite _Dragon Tail_ team shall save you from the enemy's clutches!" Olatrand yelled.

"You tell them!" Snotlout roared. "This is for my aunt, who is taking on Racer right now with Cloudjumper so that we can keep moving forward."

"Don't worry, Hiccup, I'm coming," said Astrid with her heart pounding.

"I hope they're going to be okay," said Merrill, who was quite worried.

"They'll be fine, I know it," said Toothless.

Skullcrusher looked at him. "How can you be so sure about that?"

"I just have faith and I believe that Hiccup is going to all right," said Toothless firmly.

Stormfly frowned. "Wait, what about Ruby?"

"As long as Hiccup's doing okay there's no doubt in my mind that she is too."

"Yeah, I don't think we have any reason to worry," Ragnar agreed.

"So let's go in there and start kicking some butt," said Speedfist.

"Took the words right out of my mouth!" Snotlout yelled at the top of his voice.

"We certainly don't like with enthusiasm," Eret chuckled.

"The _Christina Advanced Magic Bomber_ , we are counting on you to lead us into the fray," said Olatrand dramatically. "Take us to the Grand Temple of the _Temple of Thor_. Man!"

* * *

Hiccup had freed Valyya and now she along with Gruffnut were following him down the corridors of the Grand Temple.

"Are you going to tell me where we're going?" Valyya asked.

"To see the Archon," said Hiccup.

"For what reason?" Valyya asked.

"To get answers, Gruffnut told me that he overheard Vex mentioning how he was suffering from madness," said Hiccup.

Valyya stared at him. "The Archon is sick?"

Hiccup nodded. "Which may well mean that you guys may not be following his orders."

"Never thought I would see corruption in a temple," said Gruffnut shaking his head in disbelief. "And they call me a thief." He then ran ahead.

"What are you going?" Hiccup yelled.

"Sorry, Hiccup, but our partnership has come to an end," he said with a large smile. "I'm going to plunder this temple a nice tidy profit."

However before he could get any further an orc landed in front of them. Gruffnut came to a sudden stop and was soon face-to-face with the ugly orc.

"You're so weak I don't have to use my _Rupture Magic_ ," he said.

A split second later he done a powerful punch to Gruffnut that sent him right through the walls of the corridor and out into the wide open air.

Hiccup just stared at him. "Who is that?"

"He's Grat the Cleaner," said Valyya with a very concerned look on her face.

"Wait, are you saying that he's part of the Temple? An orc?" Hiccup stared.

Grat merely laughed as he rubbed his hands together. "This is going to be fun, because the two of you have a bunch of magic energy in you."

"Be careful, he's much more powerful than he looks," Valyya warned.

"Got it," Hiccup nodded.

* * *

Meanwhile all across the continent Alistair and his men were scrambling. Some of them had even set up cannons on ledges to take out the chains that were connected to the continent.

"Captain, combat deployment is complete."

"Okay, commence…" Then suddenly the sound of the Infinity Clock rang digressed to a child. "Firing!"

For his men just stared at him.

"Captain?"

"You're supposed to do what I say!"

"Right! Commence firing!"

They fired their magic cannons at the chains, but before the blast could reach the chain something stopped it. Then a few seconds later it headed straight back towards them and immediately the man ran as quickly as they could just as the blast struck the can and exploded.

The _Christina Advanced_ was flying close to the ledge at the time they had witnessed the debacle.

"The military men are in a state of chaos as well," Olatrand noted.

Astrid looked at Olatrand. "Do you think it's because of the _Real Nightmare_?"

"It doesn't matter if it is," said Eret then suddenly he digressed into a decrepit old man. "We just have to take it out before it take us out!"

"Yeah, good luck with that old man," said Speedfist, who was now extremely muscular.

Ragnar, who were turned into a child just stared open eyed. "Whoa, when did Speedfist became a muscle head?"

Snotlout had lost all his muscles and was now complete weakling. "No clue, but I wish I had one."

Merrill had also age until she was 20 years old. "Goodness, everyone looks so different," she said.

Stormfly can turn into a raccoon. "You can say that again, you're all grown up Merrill."

"And you turn into a raccoon," said Toothless, who are turning to a dog.

Skullcrusher, who was next to him had turned into a rabbit. "And you have turn into a dog."

After just stared at them as they began to change, including Olatrand, who was no longer a dwarf in every sense of the word which was strange considering that his people were resistant to magic. "This is bad, everyone's been affected by _Real Nightmare_." She then realised something quite obvious. "Wait a minute, I don't understand why nothing bizarre has happened to me."

She then tried to think what was different about and then remembered something quite important. "Hold on… That's it! _Requip!_ " She then summoned out the massive hammer that Bjorn had given her. "I should be able to use the weapon that Bjorn gave me in order to counter _Real Nightmare_ waves. He said it could ward off evil, here goes."

She then struck all of them with a hammer and all of them cried in pain.

"Geez, did you have that hard?" Ragnar asked rubbing his head.

Soon they all reverted back to normal much to the relief of everyone.

"We're back to normal," they all said.

* * *

Meanwhile within the Grand Temple, Gildarts and Phlegma were sneaking around through the temple's wooden structures thanks to Phlegma's magic.

They soon pop their heads out of the wood and found themselves in the Archon's chambers.

"It seems odd that they don't have anyone standing guard over the Archon's quarters," said Gildarts.

"Who cares, it made our job easier, right?" said Phlegma. They then heard the sound of muttering and Phlegma looked down. "What's that?"

The archon's chambers was a king-size bed overshadowed by a giant statue of Thor and surrounded by thousands and thousands of candles on the floor.

"Don't know, I've never seen anything like it," said Gildarts.

Then they saw the Archon sitting at the foot of the bed muttering to himself.

"Shh, it's the Archon," Phlegma whispered.

"Well, if you ask me it's time for us to be direct," said Gildarts.

Phlegma stared at him dumbfounded. "No, wait!"

Too late, Gildarts brought his body out of the word and landed in front of the Archon.

"So, you're the Archon," said Gildarts as Phlegma landed beside him.

"Let me assure you there is no reason to be afraid, this is simply the only way…" said the Archon as if he hadn't registered their presence. "The _Temple of Thor_ can rectify the world."

Gildarts and Phlegma looked at one another and then back to the Archon.

"I've got some questions for you," said Gildarts. "You think you can give me a straight answer?"

"Let me assure you there is no reason to be afraid. This is simply the only way, the _Temple of Thor_ can rectify the world," the Archon repeated.

"Hey, are you even listening to me old man?" Gildarts asked.

"Let me assure you there is no reason to be afraid. This is simply—"

"This is pointless," said Gildarts tiredly. "What in the name of Thor is wrong with him?"

"I think it's pretty likely that somebody could be using some kind of _Mind Control Spell_ on him, don't you?" said Phlegma.

They then heard the sound of clapping and looked up to find that they weren't alone. Vex was looking down from them from one of the wooden statues of Thor.

"Who's that guy?" Gildarts asked.

"His name is Vex, he is a High Priest of the _Temple of Thor_ ," said Phlegma.

"And if I'm not mistaken your Gildarts Clavson on the _Dragon Tail_ Guild," said Vex.

"Wow, I must be even more famous than I thought," said Gildarts. "I never would have imagined that a High Priest of the _Temple of Thor_ would know my name. Sorry, but I can't sign any autographs right now I'm a little busy you see."

"I commend you and your colleague for making it this far," said Vex. He then narrowed his eyes at them. "But you seem too much though so afraid you have to die."

"Go ahead and try," said Gildart looking at him confidently. "Come on, show me what you've got."

* * *

Meanwhile Valka and Cloudjumper was still battling against Racer and for the moment it was quite an even fight. They were moving that anyone could barely see them with the naked eye.

"I'm too fast," said Racer as he appeared up in the sky after dodging one of Valka's powerful kicks.

Then suddenly Valka and Cloudjumper appear directly behind him. He then quickly accelerated until he was a good fair distance away from her.

"You can't keep up with me," he said.

He turned around and saw that Valka was reaching out towards him and for brief second he saw one of the flavours from the _Tower of Valhalla_ tried to grab him.

" _Sky Dragon's Tornado Claw!_ " Valka yelled dealing a powerful punch of wind right through his body.

The wind was knocked out of him, but he quickly recovered and vanished. He then began racer across the ground and were soon chased by Valka and Cloudjumper. He could still see her as a slave are chasing him.

"Stay away!" he yelled as he jumped. Valka then appeared directly behind him. "Stay away!"

Valka struck him with her staff and he was sent back towards the ground. He then saw that Valka had landed on the ground and was looking down at him.

"Just give up the fight," she said. "There's no way you'll beat me."

Racer quickly jumped back and landed on all fours. "Racer," he said with a hungry voice. "Make me even faster!"

Valka and Cloudjumper just stared at his body began to glow and he started to become more animallike.

"Its looks like he's becoming more animal than man," said Cloudjumper.

Valka just stared at him openmouthed. "What did you do?"

Suddenly he vanished and then reappeared behind the dealing a double kick to her back.

"He's increased his speed somehow," said Valka.

"It must have been that strange glow to gain speed by taking away a piece of humanity," said Cloudjumper as he flew her to safety into the air.

"Then let's knock some sense into him," said Valka and began swinging her staff. " _Sky Dragon's Wind Slice!_ "

She then sent a powerful gust of wind directly at Racer, but he quickly vanished and appeared a safe distance away. Suddenly he slammed both his fist into Valka and Cloudjumper and they crashed to the ground.

Racer then began laughing maniacally as if he was some sort of wild animal. Then suddenly he vanished and reappeared multiple times around them.

"He must be moving so fast that it appears there's more him," said Cloudjumper.

Suddenly racer began zooming around dealing devastating attacks to the two of them. He was moving so fast that they could even see him and all they could hear was his laughter.

"I admit you're fast," said Valka wincing slightly. "However…"

The multiple Racers then charge straight at her no doubt for a final attack. However, Cloudjumper managed to carry Valka up into the sky before they had a chance to attack leaving them quite perplexed.

The Racers then began to chase after her, but Cloudjumper was able to dodge every single one of them. Then from out of nowhere Valka grabbed one of the Racers. Since he was now unable to accelerate the other Races soon vanished into thin air.

"Let's end this," said Valka she then began to take a deep breath. " _Sky Dragon's Roar!_ "

She then unleashed a breath attack at close range that send Racer down into the ground hard. They then floated down as the creator that had been created and found Racer barely able to move, his visor was also cracked. Racer looked up at Valka, who looked at him sympathetically.

"I don't understand," he said. "What happened? How would you… Racer than me?"

"I'm not running away and neither was Cloudjumper," said Valka as she made her way into the crater.

Cloudjumper's wings then disappeared and he collapsed. "Still have to use all my magical power just to keep up with him."

"Rest, you've earned it," she said with a smile. She then turned to Racer. "Unlike you, I moving forward. I have a purpose, the desire to save my family pushes me to fight hard and fast in the same could be said for Cloudjumper." She then looked at him as he stared at her. "If I may ask what are you running from?"

"I'm not sure," he said honestly looking at the ground. "I spent my entire life running, it's all I know. I was always running away."

"I know what it is. You're running from yourself."

Racer looked up at her. "From myself?"

"Yes," Valka nodded. "You're fleeing from your past, all the pain, distress and the fear. I know what you went through, like you and Astrid and the other _Oración Seis_ I suffered the tortures of the Tower of Valhalla and so I understand what it is like to try and escape it.

I was stuck in a parallel world, I could have returned at any time, but I was just too afraid to face my husband and son that I abandoned. I tried to run, but it never helped believe me when I say that I understand your heartache."

Racer then picked himself up and turned around and walked off.

"Where are you going?" Valka asked. "No one is chasing you. There's no need to run anymore."

Racer then began to tear up and fell to his knees, because he had been beaten.

* * *

Meanwhile Brila was looking down at Berk from the hills.

"Someone is calling out to me, but I wonder who," she said. She then walked off. "I have to find them."

* * *

In the Infinity Ship, the _Oración Seis_ sends that one of their own had fallen.

"It would seem as if Racer has fallen," said Brain. "Cobra. Valkyrie. You must stop them at once!"

* * *

Meanwhile Hiccup and Valyya were dealing with quite the ugly roadblock. Grat stood in their path unmoving and didn't look as if he would be swayed.

"We've got a stay faithful to the _Temple of Thor's_ doctrine," said Grat. "In other words we cannot doubt it never ever."

"And what do you do if someone does doubt it?" Hiccup asked.

"You really want to know?" Grat asked looking at him.

He then extended his hand and a Magic Circle appeared next to Hiccup.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," he said.

"It's _Rupture Magic_! Get away from it!" Valyya warned.

"It expands all the magic power inside of my target until they go boom," said Grat with a large smile.

Suddenly there was a huge explosion and Hiccup was sent flying and roared in pain. He then landed on the floor completely winded.

Valyya quickly rushed at him and helped him up. "Are you all right?"

"I'll clean away anyone, who goes against the _Temple of Thor's_ doctrine," said Grat looking down at the two of them. "Starting with you!"

"That's what you think!" Hiccup yelled.

"I'm not scared of you!" said Grat as he races hand again.

Suddenly more Magic Circles appeared around Hiccup and they floated him up into the air.

"Leave him alone!" Valyya yelled rushing towards Grat.

"The same goes for you!" said Grat as he raises other hand.

Then the magic circles appeared around Valyya as well and she too was floated up into the air.

Grat laughter their misfortune. "It's time for rupture!"

Suddenly there were several massive explosions that struck both Hiccup and Valyya with immense force.

"I'm going to keep this up until there's nothing left!" Grat yelled as both Hiccup and Valyya screamed in agony.

Eventually he released his magic and the two of them collapsed to the ground, but they weren't quite done yet.

"We don't have the time to mess around with him," said Hiccup as he picked himself up.

"Then I'll speed things up," said Grat he then raised his hand. "Ready for your last dance?" Then suddenly he stopped right in his tracks unable to move. "How come I can't move?

"That would be my doing," said a voice.

Everyone turned and saw Viggo directly above them with his ring glowing.

"You've got to be kidding?" Hiccup stared.

"Why are you doing this?" Grat demanded.

"I used to believe that anyone who opposed the Archon was evil, but I'm suddenly changing my views if the Archon has people like you and the _Oración Seis_ ," said Viggo simply. "With everything going around I can't tell who's in the right and who is in the wrong. To put it simply I am utterly confused."

"Me too?" said Valyya.

Then suddenly a Magic Circle appeared above Viggo and then he was floated up into the air.

"I don't need to move to use _Rupture Magic_ ," said Grat with a large smirk on his face.

Then there was a small explosion just above Viggo, but before he could land back onto the ground more Magic Circles appeared around him.

"Watch out!" Valyya cried.

Viggo then became the victim of several explosions at once and then fell to the ground next to them.

"Immobilising people, is all I do," said Viggo looking up and then raised his ring. "Watch this!" He then lifted Grat in the air and he began spinning around. He then looked at Hiccup and Valyya. "Get out of here now!"

"But Viggo—" Valyya pleaded.

"This might be the only chance for one of us to find out what's really going on," said Viggo. "Don't worry about me! Just go!"

"Okay," said Valyya reluctantly.

Hiccup grabbed her arm. "You heard the man, let's move."

Hiccup then jumped into the air and went straight through the wall and they landed on a staircase that led them to the Archon's chambers.

* * *

At the same time, the _Christina Advanced_ was at the Grand Temple and its approach should not go unnoticed by the guards.

"It's _Dragon Tail_!" the guard captain yelled. "Keep them away from the temple! Hurry men, fire!"

They raised their spears and then fired magical energy blast at the ship. However the blast merely bounced off the hull.

Olatrand laughed. "Don't underestimate the _Christina Advanced_! Man!"

Then suddenly the _Christina Advanced_ fired several magic energy blasts of its own. However, unlike the guards at the temple these were more powerful and when they struck the cathedral they blew away the guards like flies in the wind.

"Nice firepower," said Toothless.

Byro watched as the _Christina Advanced_ approached on their position.

"We meet again, _Dragon Tail_ ," he said. "Though my faith in the _Temple of Thor_ wavering I still have a duty to uphold. I have no choice but to stop them. Go, Kanaloa!"

Kanaloa then jumped with all his might and spun his tentacles around like a propeller in order to reach the _Christina Advanced_.

"You've got to be joking," said Olatrand. "Your octopuses no match for us. Man!"

The _Christina_ _Advanced_ fired more Magic energy blasts at Kanaloa, but they merely bounced off his slimy skin.

"Did you say that? It deflected all our shots," said Toothless.

"Oh no," said Olatrand. Kanaloa was finally close enough to the _Christina Advanced_ and wrapped around his tentacles around the ship. "What a perilous, parfum."

"Hurry, knocking off this ship!" Astrid yelled as he plunged her axe into one of the tentacles.

Eret and Ragnar assisted her, but all they were doing was irritating Kanaloa. This was proven when Kanaloa fired a stream of ink at them. The moment the ink touch to the deck and started to burn away, some of the ink landed on the sales destroying them and some of it almost reached Speedfist, who backed away just in time.

"I'll leave you to handle this, Kanaloa," said Byro as he turned around. "In the meantime, I'm going to pay a visit to the Archon and demand some answers."

"Now what? We don't want a repeat of seven years ago," said Olatrand. He thought for moment and knew what he had to do. "I'm left with no choice, deploy _Spiral Anchors_! Man!"

Suddenly erupting from the ship were massive change that wrapped around the ship entrapping Kanaloa.

"I shall defeat it by sacrificing the _Christina Advanced_!" Olatrand announced. He then turned to _Dragon Tail_. "Save yourself before it's too late."

"But we can't leave you behind," said Merrill.

"Just do as I say," said Olatrand as he turned around and folded his arms.

Everyone just stared at him and then Astrid turned at them.

"You heard him! Let's go!" Astrid yelled.

"Right!"

When they were close enough to the Temple they jumped and grabbed hold of the ledge of the mountain. They watch as the wings the Christina Advanced broke away and began to plummet towards the ground.

"Good luck, my friends," said Olatrand.

They watched as the ship disappeared from behind the mountain and then heard an explosion and heard Olatrand cry, 'Man!' all the way.

"Olatrand," Merrill breathed.

"He always made a flashy exit," said Ragnar.

"What a way to go," said Snotlout.

"Surviving danger is what Olatrand does best. So I'm sure he'll be fine," Astrid assured. She then looked at the others. "Either way we can't let the sacrifice be in vain, we need to find Hiccup and Ruby."

"Yeah!" they all yelled.

* * *

Meanwhile Gildarts and Phlegma were still face-to-face with Vex. Phlegma just watched as both Gildart and Vex channelled a greater magnitude of magic power at the same time the Archon was still muttering to himself with the same speech over and over again.

Then Hiccup and Valyya arrived and rushed over to Gildarts.

"Looks like we arrived just in time," said Hiccup.

Almost immediately both Gildarts and Vex stopped channelling magic power and stared at him.

"Hiccup?" said Gildarts with great surprise.

Vex was also surprised to see Valyya with him. "I'm surprised to see that you broke out as well, Valyya."

"High Priest," Valyya acknowledged.

Vex then looked at Hiccup. "And you… I know exactly who you are." Hiccup looked up. "You're Hiccup Haddock, a Dragon Slayer Viking."

Hiccup was quite stunned, because he resembled someone he once fought against and they sounded exactly like. He then sniffed the air and realise that he is not the same as well.

"Wait a minute, I know that smell," said Hiccup. "It is impossible, you smell just like Master Zero."

Phlegma stared at him. "You don't think it really him do you?"

Hiccup shook his head. "That was one of the first things my Dad checked. Zero is in a secret Viking Council prison that is only known to the Viking Council itself and there have been no report of any breakouts."

Vex merely laughed.

"I don't know whether this creep is Master Zero or not, but he is the one who has been controlling the Archon," said Gildarts.

* * *

Meanwhile Astrid was leading the others into the Grand Temple when Speedfist came to a sudden stop.

"What is it?" Astrid asked as they all stared at him.

"I just heard Gildarts' voice," said Speedfist placing two fingers on his temple. "Apparently the _Temple of Thor's_ Archon is being controlled by High Priest Vex."

"He is?" Astrid stared

Hiding behind a stone statue was Byro and he had her the entire conversation. The bizarre orders now started to make sense, Vex was manipulating the Archon for his own gain. All this time he had been using his apology to take advantage everyone including himself. He was not going to let him get away with this.

* * *

Vex was unaware of this realisation was smiling confidently at Hiccup and the others.

"I take it then that it was your idea to use the phoney Sigrid to trick us," said Hiccup narrowing his eyes.

"And what if I was?" said Vex.

"Then you're going down," said Hiccup.

"Hold on, kid," said Gildarts placing a hand on Hiccup's shoulder. "If anyone finds him it should be me."

Vex merely chuckled. "You don't have a prayer."

Then suddenly a dark Magic Circle appeared beneath the feet of Phlegma and a dark tentacle wrapped itself around her and placing a knife sharp edge near her throat.

"Phlegma!" Gildarts cried.

"Since you two seem to enjoy fighting let's see what happens when you exchange blows," said Vex.

Hiccup and Gildarts stared at him.

"We aren't fighting each other," said Hiccup.

Vex chuckled. "Defy me and I will kill her."

"No way," said Hiccup.

"Let her go, she's got nothing to do with this," said Gildarts.

Then suddenly Vex felt his power vanishing directly behind him and the dark tentacle surrounding Phlegma vanished. Everyone gasped and Vex turned around and saw Byro with his hands extended, he soon realised that Byro had neutralised his magic power.

"What?" Vex roared.

"You?" Hiccup stared.

"How dare you try to deceive me, Vex," Byro glared.

Vex soon realise that Byro knew the truth. "Byro?"

Then suddenly Gildarts sped towards Vex before anyone had a chance to blink. Vex turned around and was met with a powerful uppercut from Gildarts, who channel a lot of magic power into it. He was then sent up and actually crashed into the ceiling. Hiccup and the others just stared at his raw power.

* * *

In the Infinity Ship, Imitatia also sensed this magic power.

"They're coming," she said. Ruby looked up. "Your beloved friends are on their way to you."

Ruby stared at her. "My friends? From _Dragon Tail_?" Her eyes widened. "So they were able to find a way to get inside."

"Yes, but am afraid they're going to lose their lives," said Imitatia.

"What you mean? Why are they going to lose their lives?"

"Because of you, Big Sister. They care about you two much so I'm going to have to kill them."

Ruby stared at her horrified. "Why?"

"I won't let anyone else have you. Big Sister, you belong to me," she said turning to face.

Ruby was now very confused and wondered what she meant by that.

"Sigrid," she breathed.


	22. To the Infinity Ship!

In the Archon's chambers, Gildarts had just sent Vex flying and seconds later he crashed down and landed upon the candles around the Archon's bed. They all then turned to Byro, who was looking directly at them.

Toothless then appeared out of nowhere. "Hiccup, thank Odin. I'm so glad you're okay."

"Toothless? What are you doing here?" Hiccup stared. He then noticed Astrid and the others. "Okay what all you doing here?"

Astrid then rushed towards him and gave him a big hug. It took a few seconds to look at him in the face. "Rescuing you, but it would seem as if that is not needed."

Ragnar looked at Merrill. "Merrill, turn to the Archon."

"Right," said Merrill rush into the Archon, who had fallen face first onto the floor, with Stormfly.

"Are you sure this is the right person?" Stormfly asked.

Byro looked at all them. "I admit, I'm surprised that you would be bold enough to break into the Grand Temple of all places."

Astrid pulled away from Hiccup and narrowed her eyes. "You're surprised?"

"So was Vex," said Ragnar.

Vex then laughed weakly. "Struggle all you want insects. The _Real Nightmare_ had already caught you in its web. As of today the world you knew is over, the Infinity Clock fuels the great power of the _Temple for Thor_ was founded upon and that power has not diminished since it was imprisoned. But back then it was known to all Infinity Ship."

"Wow, how original," said Snotlout rolling his eyes.

"Every 100 years during the _Temple for Thor_ Founding Festival the Infinity Ship releases every mound of pure magic power it has accumulated. A century's worth of power, unstoppable and ripe for the taking."

Toothless narrowed his eyes. "You caused all this suffering to still power?"

"No you fool," Vex spat. "My only goal is to revert the world to chaos. There is no higher purpose to me. With _Real Nightmare_ in my control I can turn the world today is of anarchy that range before that range before the _Temple of Thor's_ time! The true heart of man with all its greed and hatred will be allowed to flourish once again!"

"Wilhelm must have realised that this could have happened so he created a seal that spread across generations," said Stormfly.

"But what does any of that have to do with Ruby?" Merrill frowned.

* * *

In the Infinity ship, Brain was with Imitatia as they watched as Ruby sank deeper into the lens which led to the power source of the ship.

"This one was quite the catch," said Brain. "She has contract with many Celestial Spirits and has great stores of magic in which to summon them." He then noticed the confused face on Ruby. "Since the Infinity Clock was sealed away by Celestial Vikings the only way can be controlled is by harnessing the magic power of another Celestial Viking."

"I would never help you," Ruby spat.

"Fortunately we do not need your cooperation for this sacrifice," said Brain with a small smile. "The clock out all belongs to us, that your magic will be the bridge that connects to the Infinity Ship with our will."

"When the _Real Nightmare_ takes hold everyone's values will be one and the same. Human, elf, dwarf, even the orcs, all conflict will come to an end. I'm proud sister, you're going to grant the world true freedom and I am here to see it happen."

* * *

In the Archon's chambers Vex just informed them of the sacrifice and began to laugh.

"Don't let me sway you from saving the day, all you have to do to stop the clock is kill the girl," said Vex. "But I know that you won't do that which means the _Temple of Thor_ Armageddon chaos is inevitable!"

He then laughed maniacally, but then came to a stop when he felt a massive amount of pain rushing through his body. Then his body began to fade in and out as if it couldn't exist within this plane of existence any longer.

"What's happening?" Vex roared. He then looked at everyone in the room. "You did this didn't you? Byro, you treacherous dog I'll have you hanged."

"I pity you, more than you know," said Byro emotionlessly.

"Now I get it," said Gildarts. "The whole time he was another part of the deception. He's just a fake made of _Personification Magic_. I doubt he even realised that he was a puppet until now."

"Nobody cause my strings you arrogant brute!" Vex roared stubbornly. "I'm the master of chaos!"

"Gildarts and I came across a lot of puppet on our way here that were very similar to you," said Phlegma. "They all have that same look in their eyes. So there's no point hiding it."

"When you get right down to it, you're nothing more than a tool," said Byro.

"You're wrong!" Vex yelled. "I am a High Priest of the mighty _Temple of Thor_! I am not a puppet! I'm not! I will rule everything! The world is mine to control!"

He then vanished and all that was left of him was just a small, hair.

Hiccup sniffed the air and recognise the scent. "I recognise that sent anyway, it's Master Zero's hair. Someone, I'm betting Master Zero himself created his duplicate to infiltrate the Temple of Thor for the Infinity Clock in case their plan for Nirvana failed."

"What a sad existence," said Astrid almost looking sorry for Vex.

"Yeah, it must suck knowing that you're not really alive," said Ragnar.

"Vex wasn't the only one tool," said Byro apologetically. "As head of the _Legion Platoon_ I take full responsibility for the suffering caused by our actions, but now at least in this situation I know what has to be done."

Everyone turned towards realising what he meant by that.

"As a warrior sworn to the _Temple of Thor_ it is my duty to save the world. Is time to stop the Infinity Clock then Ruby Heartfull must die?"

Hiccup then rushed towards him with a fiery fist. "I won't let you touch her!" he yelled.

Byro easily neutralises magic and causes fist with his bare hand. He then knocked Hiccup aside with a powerful backhand.

Gildarts then stepped forward. "I'll this guy a beating," he said and then looked at Hiccup. "I'll take care of him while you find Ruby."

Hiccup picked himself up and clutched his shoulder. "Okay, just be careful."

Valyya then rushed up to him. "Hey, I know a way to get the Infinity Ship."

Hiccup nodded. "Then lead the way we're right behind you."

Skullcrusher was relieved to see that Valyya was all right.

Then suddenly landing in front of them blocking their path was Windshear in her battle form. It was clear that he had overheard the entire conversation from the rafters.

"It's her again," said Eret.

"Windshear?" Skullcrusher stared.

Windshear looked at him. "As I told you before, I serve Lord Byro."

"Don't get in our way," said Hiccup.

"What do you plan to do?" Skullcrusher demanded.

"Simple, keep you away from your friend," she said simply. "The time for talk has passed."

She then summoned her wings and then flew off before anyone could stop her.

"Wait, Windshear!" Skullcrusher called.

"I understand your anger, but I don't need calculations to know what's right," she said. "When the life of one person is weighed against the fate of the world, there is only one course of action."

She then flew out of the doors.

Skullcrusher and Toothless immediately summoned their wings and gave chase.

"Take him down!" Skullcrusher ordered.

"Right, behind you," said Toothless.

"You won't interfere," said Byro raising his staff which began to glow.

Almost immediately their wings disappeared.

"No, our wings!" Toothless cried as they fell to the ground.

"Toothless!" Hiccup gasped.

"Will you quit messing with them, you're dealing with me," said Gildarts unleashing his magic upon Byro.

However, Byro uses magic to neutralise it like he did before.

"Hiccup, hurry and go and find Ruby!" Toothless called.

"Don't worry were on it," said Hiccup he then looked at the others. "Speedfist stay behind and as a liaison. Astrid, Ragnar, Snotlout, Eret you come with me and Valyya."

"Got it," they nodded.

"This way!" Valyya yelled and they followed her lead.

"You shall not pass," said Byro running after them.

"Stop turning your back on me!" Gildarts yelled unleashing his magic yet again.

Byro quickly turned and waved his staff neutralising the magic attack. "You seem to have forgotten, my ability to neutralise magic left you in the mud last time our fists crossed."

"I don't need magic to take your mouth," said Gildarts raising his fist. "One of these between your teeth should do the trick."

"I have extensive training in mortal combat," said Byro as he took on a fighting stance. "Well honed, refined to the point where no man has ever bested me in a physical match."

Byro then swung his staff directly at Gildarts, but Gildarts quickly sidestepped out of the way.

"You talk too much, you know that?" said Gildarts landing on the ground. He then saw Byro jumping at him with his staff raised. "Oh, crap."

Byro slammed his staff on top of him and he had so hard that he went right through the wall into the assembly area. Gildarts held his ground as he skidded across the marble floor and watched as Byro entered through the hole he had made.

"Perhaps, but I still have the upper hand," said Byro as he raised his staff.

* * *

Meanwhile in the Infinity Ship Brain and Imitatia were discussing the loss of Vex.

"It would seem as if Vex has expired, but that's no great loss he served his purpose," said Brain. "Even if he was made from the remnants of my father he was nothing more than another pawn."

Ruby was completely disgusted by this. "You disgust me," she spat. "Whether he was made out of magic power or not, he was still a living being."

"On the contrary, heart is what's truly important," said Imitatia plainly. "Those who don't have it might as well be dolls like Nexus."

Ruby just stared. "What happened to you?"

* * *

Meanwhile the Archon's chambers, Merrill was busy administrating her _Healing Magic_ onto the archon, who they had placed in bed.

"Is he under the same spell that was used on Agatha?" Phlegma asked.

"Yes, I think so," said Stormfly.

Toothless looked at Merrill. "Any luck, Merrill?"

"My _Healing Magic_ isn't working," she said looking slightly frustrated and tired.

"Keep trying," said Toothless.

Phlegma placed a hand on his forehead. "His temperature is still pretty high."

"What's the matter?" Skullcrusher asked noticing the troubled look on Merrill's face.

"I think the spell was cast in the Archon's brain for too long," she said grimly. "Fragments of it are still stuck in there."

"So unless we can safely remove the fragments, he may not live long enough to help us," said Stormfly.

Toothless looked at Merrill. "Do you think you can save him?"

"If I can use my magic delicately enough to prevent brain damage impossibly," said Merrill.

Speedfist folded his arms. "I don't see any other option here. If he comes out of that he might be able to tell us more about the Infinity Clock."

"Come on, Merrill, you can do this," said Phlegma.

"Okay," she nodded.

* * *

In the Infinity Ship, Imitatia looked up.

"I sense a power coming this way," she said.

"Please let it be, Hiccup," Ruby begged.

"It isn't, this time," she said.

Suddenly flying into the room was none other than Windshear.

"I found you," she said. "Just as I calculated."

"Windshear?" Ruby stared.

Imitatia took a step forward facing her. "Ruby belongs to me and nobody else. I won't let you have her."

Ruby stared at her. "Huh, wait I'm confused. I thought she was on your side."

"That doesn't seem to be the case any longer," said Imitatia. "I'm not sure why she swapped sides, but it's obvious that he intends to end your life now."

Ruby gasped.

Windshear then spread it towards her as quickly as he could and Imitatia summoned her shield to her hand. She then tossed it while still attached to a vine and sliced right through Windshear's wings and then spun it against slamming it into her with an immense force.

Windshear then fell from the air and went straight through the floor and landed into the gears of the Infinity Ship.

"My Aero Wings," she winced.

"This is unexpected," said Imitatia looking down the hole that Windshear flew though. "The _Legion Platoon_ dogs we had under the tight leash have turned on their masters." She then looked at Ruby. "If I hadn't been here you would have been killed."

To be honest Ruby was having mixed feelings about that, on the one hand she didn't want to be killed, but on the other she didn't want to spread unmentionable chaos either. She just continued to stare at Imitatia wondering what happened to the girl she met a week ago.

Windshear got to her feet, but she was unable to be summoned her wings. "I may have lost my wings, but with these claws I can still climb. Lord Byro, hang on."

She then started to look towards the gears.

* * *

Meanwhile both Viggo and Grat were completely exhausted from their battle. They had stopped writing when they heard a telepathic message that confirms the corruption of Vex.

"You heard that, right?" said Viggo looking at the orc. "So do you want to keep fighting?"

"I don't know what to do now," said Grat.

"Lord Byro was used, the High Priests were used, even the Archon was used," said Viggo shaking his head. "I suppose that makes us nothing more than tools."

"All this time I though we have been following the _Temple of_ _Thor's_ doctrine, but we were really being playthings for the _Neo-Oracion Seis_."

"That about sums it up," said Viggo. "The only one who the real picture of the situation were _Dragon Tail_."

Viggo then collapsed.

"I hate being manipulated and used for those that would do harm against the _Temple of Thor_ ," Grat roared. "I'll obliterate the _Neo-Oracion_ _Seis_ , but first I need to sleep."

Grat then collapsed and fell unconscious.

"How very undramatic," Viggo sighed. "It's up to you now Valyya, take them down."

He then to fell unconscious.

* * *

Valyya led Hiccup to the courtyard as quickly as she could.

"Come on, hurry!" Valyya yelled.

"You know it's very hard to keep up with you, kid," Snotlout reminded.

"Father Mason said that the great circle in the middle of the courtyard can take is up to the Infinity Ship, but we're still have a ways to go," said Valyya.

"Hang on, Ruby. We're coming for you," said Hiccup.

* * *

Meanwhile Alistair and Alron were leading the Honour Guard around the surrounding areas around the Grand Temple in order to protect them from the magic that was being channelled from the chains.

The guard had created a Rune barrier in order to protect the civilians and Alron was transporting those who were having a hard time reaching it.

"I am Captain Alistair of the Viking Council Honour Guard," he said looking at the civilians that had gathered. "We freed you from the magic effects of those chains. You'll be protected if you remain inside the barrier."

Alron then appeared with a woman and her child.

"You're safe now. Just staying here," he assured. " _Direct Line!_ "

He then vanished and then reappeared at some ruined houses that have been destroyed by the chains. There he saw family that were clearly in distress.

"Don't be afraid," he said. "I've come here to take your family to safety."

Alistair meanwhile was surveying the people entering the barrier.

"Good, keep moving," he said. "You're almost there."

* * *

Meanwhile in the Archon's chambers, Merrill was still tending to the Archon. The magic was working slowly, but it was improving the Archon dramatically.

"It's working," said Phlegma.

"Yes, he doesn't look is nearly as sick as before," Skullcrusher agreed.

"Don't try and rush it, be very gentle," said Merrill to herself as she concentrated.

"She looked exhausted," Toothless noted.

"She's never cast her _Cure Spell_ for this long before," said Stormfly. "So it's only natural that'd get tired."

* * *

Meanwhile Gildarts and Byro were ritually tearing apart the Assembly Hall with their fight. Though it was mostly Byro doing the damage since he was the only one attacking.

"Come on, attack!" Byro roared said a powerful shockwave with his staff.

Dust covered the entire hall when it dispelled Gildarts was just standing there completely unfazed.

"Why won't you fight seriously?" Byro asked puzzled.

"I didn't want to run the risk of the kids seeing this, you know," said Gildarts looking directly at him. Byro frowned. "Because I'm about to turn you into a blooding mess."

"You lack the skill," said Byro.

"On the contrary, I was just warming up," Gildarts smiled.

Byro then charged at him with his staff raised. However, Gildarts swung his fist it slammed into the staff and immediately it shattered. While Byro stunned by this, Gildarts struck again with his prosthetic and he slammed right into one of the marble pillars.

Byro was actually winded when he looked up at Gildarts.

"You know, you might be onto something here," said Gildarts clenching his fist. "A good fight every once in a while really gets the blood pumping."

Byro merely snarled at him.

* * *

Meanwhile in the Archon's chambers, Merrill released her _Healing Magic_ completely exhausted.

"Merrill, I know you want to save him, but you're using up too much magic power," said Stormfly.

"Maybe you should take a breather and try again later," Toothless suggested.

Merrill smiled at them. "Don't need to, I think he'll be just fine."

Both Toothless and Stormfly stared at her.

"Wait, you're already done?" Toothless stared.

"By Thor, when were you going to tell me that you were improved so much?" Stormfly gasped.

"I got a lot of experience recently," she said humbly. She then turned back to the Archon. "In any case the Archon is out of the words and the spell won't bother him any again."

Phlegma placed a hand on the Archon's forehead. "It's true," she said excitedly. "Even his fever has gone down."

"Excellent work, Merrill," Skullcrusher smiled.

"Never doubted you for a minute," said Speedfist.

Toothless sighed. "Now if only getting rid of the Infinity Clock was as easy as removing that spell." And an idea popped into his head. "But what if it is? I've got it!"

"What is it?" Skullcrusher asked looking at him.

"Windshear things that he has the cure will be in order to start the Infinity Clock," said Toothless. "But he's got it wrong. There is another way. The answer was right in front of us."

"And the answer is?" Stormfly asked.

"It's so obvious, we've got to defeat the _Neo-Oracion Seis_."

Everyone frowned at him.

"We've have to beat every single one?" Skullcrusher asked.

"You've got to be kidding me," said Speedfist.

"I don't follow you," Phlegma frowned at him.

"Remember when it all showed up and took over the Infinity Clock?" Toothless asked. "The very first thing they did was branded with their seal."

"Now that I think about it, the Six Seal," said Stormfly. "The one on the clock hand must have belonged to Sigrid."

"Remember they said that they took ownership of it and then planted this seals on it. I think if were able to beat them and erase all of their seals maybe the ownership of the clock will go away too."

Stormfly lit up realising what he was implying. "And if they don't control it they can't hold be any more."

"She'll be free," Toothless nodded.

"I'll let Hiccup and the others know about Toothless' theory," said Speedfist placing his fingers on his temple.

"I'm going to try find Ruby and stop Windshear as well," said Toothless.

"I'm coming with you," said Skullcrusher.

Stormfly looked at the two of them. "I'll stay with Merrill for now, but will meet up with you later. Be careful everyone."

Hiccup and the others were now inside the Infinity Ship running for one of its large corridors as quickly as they could. As they ran they heard the voice of Speedfist, but it was very faint.

"Does anyone else hear that?" Snotlout asked looking around wildly.

"It sounds like telepathy from Speedfist, but I can't make it out," said Hiccup.

"He says, we can stop the clock by defeating the _Neo-_ _Oracion Seis_ ," said Astrid.

"Then they won't control the clock anymore," said Valyya.

"Then we might be able to save Ruby in the process," Ragnar finished.

"I can get behind that plan and it sounds like a whole lot better than Windshear's," said Eret.

"I'm sick and tired of this running around, I'm ready to brawl," said Snotlout. "Let's show them our full might!"

"Then let's do this and bring Ruby home," said Hiccup.

"End of the line, kids," said a voice.

They looked up and saw Cobra standing on an arch looking down at them.

"Cobra?" Hiccup glared.

"All that anxiety, this sweet desperation of despair," Cobra smirked. "I hear it all."

Hiccup looked up at him. "I was able to beat you once, I can do it again."

"I'll save you the last, Night Fury," said Cobra and then turned his eyes upon Astrid. "Freyja and I have unfinished business. Isn't that right?"

Cobra then unleashed a powerful soundwave down upon straight at Astrid. Fortunately she was able to dodge it just in time, but the others were blinded by the dust the sound waves produced when they struck the ground.

Astrid then landed back on the ground instead of Cobra.

"You heard him, go on I've got this," said Astrid confidently.

"We can help you," Hiccup pointed out.

"No, he's only interested in fighting me," said Astrid. She then looked up at him. "It's because I heard the cry in his heart."

Cobra narrowed had his eye at her. "Shut your mouth!"

Ragnar looked at Hiccup. "We should get going."

Hiccup nodded reluctantly. "Fine." They then started to make their way down the corridor. "Be careful Astrid."

Astrid merely chuckled to herself.

Cobra narrowed his eye at her. "Mind telling me what's so amusing?"

"There's no point telling you, you can already hear it," Astrid smirked.

* * *

Hiccup and the others down the cordon soon they found themselves in some kind of greenhouse. There was plan live all over the place and a small stream running down in a small canal.

"What's with all the plant life?" Snotlout blinked.

"Greenhouse maybe," Ragnar shrugged.

"Why grow a garden inside a giant clock?" Eret asked questionably.

"It doesn't matter, we have to rescue Ruby," said Hiccup.

"I'm sorry boys, but this is as far as you're getting," said a voice.

They start and saw Valkyrie looking down at them from one of the stone pillars that laid around the greenhouse.

"Great her," said Hiccup.

"Valkyrie," said Ragnar and then took a step forward. "Keep going, I can handle her."

"Hang on, who made you boss?" said Snotlout as he cracked his knuckles.

"I think Ragnar is better suited for this right," said Hiccup. He then looked at Ragnar. "Good luck."

"You to," said Ragnar as Hiccup led the others away.

"So you're my opponent?" said Valkyrie looking down at Ragnar. "How incredibly boring."

"Oh don't worry, I'll be sure to make things real interesting for ya," Ragnar assured.

Valkyrie really gave him a small smile.

* * *

Hiccup and the others soon found themselves in the actual gears of the Infinity Ship.

Suddenly there was a powerful magic blast that struck the floor in front of them. They looked up and saw Brain looking down at them for one of the gears holding his father's staff.

"It's Brain the Second," said Hiccup.

"Did you really think that you could make it to the top completely unopposed?" Brain asked with a raised eyebrow.

"We were counting on it actually," said Hiccup.

"I've got this one," said Eret taken a step forward. "The rest of you guys go and get Ruby."

"What's with everyone and taking the best opponents?" Snotlout grumbled.

Eret looked up at Brain. "So you're the head of the _Neo-Oracion Seis_ ," Eret scoffed. "You look more like an anxious kid in his mother's make up."

"I'm not concerned with the opinions of gutter trash," Brain spat.

"Why don't you come down here and say to my face," said Eret as he took up a fighting stance. He then looked at the others. "You guys get out of here, I've got this."

"You're not in charge here?" Snotlout glared.

"But I am and we don't have time for this," said Hiccup looking at Snotlout. "Let Eret handle this."

"It should be much further," said Valyya and she led the others down the corridor.

"I hope I at least I get to fight someone," Snotlout grumbled.

* * *

Meanwhile Astrid and Cobra soon found themselves in a strange area filled with blocks that glowed. Astrid had just landed on one of these blocks when slime shot are nowhere and she barely had time to dodge it.

"I've seen that attack before," said Astrid.

Both she and Cobra looked up to find Ryker looking down at them.

"Mind if I cut in," said Ryker with his sword resting on his shoulder.

Astrid looked at him confused. "I don't understand, why are you still intent on fighting _Dragon Tail_?"

"Lord Byro gave me very clear instructions to keep you and your friends away from the Infinity Clock," said Ryker.

"But the circumstances have changed, Lord Byro and the _Neo-Oracion Seis_ our enemies now. They're your targets," said Astrid.

"You think I believe a word you say," Ryker laughed. "I trust the _Neo-Oracion Seis_ as far as I can throw them, but unless Lord Byro tells me otherwise I'll be fighting for them."

"Get lost, maggot," said Cobra coldly.

"What you say?" Ryker glared.

"May your own voice destroy you," said Cobra raising an arm.

Suddenly he sent a Ryker's voice right back only ten times as loud. Suddenly the slime use as a weapon emerged from his body and acted wildly.

"What's going on?" Ryker roared. "My slime is going wild! No!"

"Get lost," said Cobra.

"So she was telling the truth," said Ryker as it did his best to hold his ground.

Despite his best attempt he was unable to hold his ground of the edge of the block and headed down the shaft.

Cobra then turned back to Astrid. "Now then. Shall we continue, Freyja?"

Astrid just narrowed her eyes at him.

* * *

Meanwhile Eret was engaging Brain within the gears of the Infinity Clock.

" _Iron Dragon's Club!_ " Eret roared unleashing his iron club onto Brain.

However, Brain merely raised his hand and the club made a U-turn and slammed into the gear he was standing on.

"Iron Dragon… so the gutter trash has caused to," said Eret looking at him.

Eret landed on one of the gears and looked up at him. "That _Reflector Spell_ you're using just proves how much of a coward you are."

"They call you the Rumblehorn, no doubt because you charge through blindly," said Brain. "Did it ever occur to you that the best offence a good defence."

"That depend on how powerful the offensive is," said Eret raising his hand. " _Iron Dragon's Spear: Demon Logs!_ "

His hand then turned into a spear and then fired it in rapid succession towards Brain. However, Brain was more than prepared and raised his hand using his _Reflector Spell_ once again causing the attacks to be launched in different directions. Eret kept on attacking going faster and faster and eventually caught Brain.

Eret then grabbed the gear and began eating it. "A quick snack and then I'll finish you off." He then took a deep breath. " _Iron Dragon's Roar!_ "

He unleashed his breath attack upon Brain, who raised his Reflector Spell once again causing the attack to fly upwards. However, Eret use the attack as a distraction in order to get behind Brain's guard. Sadly, Brain foresaw this and turned the attack making it hit him instead.

"You should realise by now that nothing you throw at me will hit the mark," said Brain.

"Oh yeah," said Eret's voice is his arm emerged from the smoke and grabbed his shoulder. "That's true from a distance, but up close and personal is a whole different story." He then raised his hand which took the form of a sword. " _Iron Dragon's Sword!_ "

He then slammed the sword down on top of Brain and scored a direct hit. However, he suddenly turned into smoke and vanished much to Eret's confusion.

"What?" Eret stared.

Brain then reappeared behind. "My mirages apply convincing, aren't they?"

Eret turned around just in time to see Brain unleashing a powerful gust of wind towards him. " _Spiral Pain!_ "

Eret then found himself lifted up into the air by a powerful vortex completely helpless.

"As much as I love to keep playing with you I can't," said Brain. "I just don't have the time!"

He then sent Eret flying through the clock and Sony disappeared from view.

* * *

Meanwhile in the Assembly Hall, Byro was still fighting against Gildarts, but nothing to do could bring down the titan before him. He swung affairs directly at Gildarts, but he barely acknowledged it.

"Ah, come on. I barely felt that one!" said Gildarts. Byro then struck him again, but it had the same effect. "You can do better. It me with everything you've got!"

Byro then placed all his rage into his face and swung it at Gildarts, but before his fist could make contact, Gildarts slammed his fist right into his stomach. Byro for the air rushing out of his mouth as the punch struck him with an immense force. It soon became very clear as he rubbed his stomach that Gildarts had a much higher level of power than he did.

"You overcame your frustration of being betrayed and you fall for what you believed," said Gildarts looking down at him. "But in the _Dragon Tail_ Guild our friends lives always take priority even if the only choices between them or the world."

Byro then collapsed onto the marble floor and passed out.

At that exact same moment Eret launched out of the Infinity Ship like a bullet.

"I'm not done with you!" Eret roared.

Gildarts heard the voice and looked over the balcony and saw Eret falling towards him.

"Eret?" he blinked. He then placed one hand on the marble column and have the other outstretched. "I've got you."

He then grabbed Eret's leg just as he passed by. Unfortunately, the column was unable to take both their weight and broke apart and soon the two of them fell down off the mountain.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Eret roared as they rolled down the mountain.

* * *

Hiccup and the others were rushing through the Infinity Ship and judging from the light that was shooting out in all different directions they were close to the power source.

"We should be getting close to the centre of the Infinity Ship's magic power," said Valyya. "It's here somewhere."

"I don't smell Ruby at all," said Hiccup.

"I wonder why?" Snotlout frowned.

"It's probably because Ruby is become one to the Infinity Clock," Valyya assumed.

"Hang on, I've got Sigrid's scent," said Hiccup. "If we follow that it should lead us straight to Ruby."

"I can get behind that plan," said Snotlout.

* * *

They continued running through the long corridor until eventually they found themselves in the central room. There they saw Ruby fat into the lens and sinking in even deeper.

"Ruby!" Hiccup yelled.

Ruby looked up at them with a gazed look in her eyes. "My friends," she said weakly. "They made it. They're here."

Then placing herself between her and them was Imitatia with both sword and shield at the ready.

"You're wasting your time, because Ruby belongs to me," she said. "Turn around and go back to that rotting Guildhall."

Hiccup narrowed his eyes. "Sigrid!"

"If you value your lives you'll leave her with me!"

They all looked at one another and it was obvious to all that the fight was about to emerge.


	23. Valkyrie Tears

All across the continent people were panicking as the chaotic magic was leaking out the chains that scattered across the land. Toothless and Skullcrusher were trying to locate Windshear unaware the events that were going inside the Infinity Ship.

Hiccup, Snotlout and Valyya were facing Imitatia, who was blocking their path to Ruby.

"Out of our way, Sigrid," Hiccup warned.

"Don't you dare come any closer to my big sister!" Imitatia glared. "Let this be a warning to you that if you don't leave us alone I'll be forced to take your lives!"

"Don't threaten us!" Hiccup glared.

"First you trick us and now this?" Snotlout said in frustration. "You're not the girl I thought you were."

"Let Ruby go this instant!" Valyya demanded.

Ruby just stared at them. "You guys." She then gave Imitatia a pleading look. "Sigrid, please."

"Don't worry, Big Sister. I swear to you, I will keep you safe," Imitatia promised.

"No way!" Valyya yelled angrily. "She's coming with us!"

Hiccup looked at Valyya. "Me and Snotlout will try and keep a distracted while you go up there and work on getting Ruby free."

"You got it," said Snotlout and Valyya at the same time.

"Let's go!" said Hiccup.

They then charged at straight at her in the battle began.

* * *

Meanwhile at the Guildhall, everyone was protected thanks to Stoick using a very powerful defensive spell. At the same time Fishlegs and Fenris were helping Bjorn with research on the Real Nightmare and the Infinity Clock.

Most of the Guild was actually out searching for Brila and were under the protection of one of Fenris enchantments.

"Stoick is working overtime shielding us from the _Real Nightmare_ ," said Gobber.

"Shame you can't able to do anything about it," Spitelout smirked.

"I wasn't even supposed to be next in line at Guild Master and either way you," Gobber reminded.

"As there been any word on Brila?" Spitleout grumbled.

"No," said Gobber shaking his head. "Fenris' enchantment showed last a few more hours, but they have any picked up the trail yet. Personally I wish there was something more we could do."

"Yeah, I hate sitting around as much as the next guy, but there's is a lot we can do," Spitelout fumed.

Gobber looked around and frowned. "I haven't seen Gustav in a while."

"You know that kid hate sitting around as much as any of us," Spitelout reminded. "Besides you don't have to make his own choices."

Gustav was actually in the wreckage of the _Christina Advanced_ which crash landed on the mountain next to the Grand Temple. He managed to push open the door and was still a bit dazed from the crash.

"Whoa," he said. He then looked at the Infinity Ship. "Hang on, I'm coming for you Hiccup and Ruby." He then narrowed his eyes. "Sigrid."

* * *

In the central chamber, Hiccup and Snotlout were fighting against Imitatia. Hiccup had actually jumped into the end was taking a deep breath.

" _Fire Dragon's Roar!_ " he yelled unleashing his breath attack on Imitatia.

However, Imitatia merely jumped to safety and then Snotlout appeared above her with an iron covered fits.

"You're going down!" he yelled swinging his fist towards her.

However, Imitatia nearly spun out of his way and use them as a springboard causing him to crash into the stairs below and for her to get to safety. Snotlout almost slammed into Valyya and Imitatia skidded across the ground.

Hiccup looked up at them. "Hey, are you guys all right?"

"That's eight points," said Valyya who was hanging from the demolished stairs by grasping Snotlout's arm. "But yeah, we're okay".

"You've got any careful, Hiccup. Show aim at your vitals with deadly accuracy," Snotlout warned as Imitatia summoned her shield which began to spin like a saw blade. "Remember he took you down with one hit."

"You don't have to remind me," said Hiccup.

"I find mortal bodies so interesting. No matter how brawny they are all that it takes is one strike to the vital organs and they will be incapacitated by intense pain," said Imitatia as he drew his sword.

Hiccup did the same with _Inferno_ and set it ablaze. He then looked straight into her eyes. "What's with you? You're nothing like the girl we used to know."

"That was just an act to infiltrate your Guild," she said simply. "As I told you before my name is Imitatia. I'm a member of the _Neo-Oración Seis_."

"How could you!" Snotlout roared as he appeared overhead. His arm then turned into the dark or that he acquired on Cove Island. "I'll make you pay!"

He then swung the arm down on top of Imitatia, who used her shield to block it and she sunk into the ground a bit from the impact. She then jumped at him and struck him with her sword in a manner that didn't endanger him, but at the same time causing immense pain.

She looked up and saw Hiccup charging with _Inferno_. "You're not the only one who can cause another pain!" he yelled. He then struck it with _Inferno_ sending him flying into the walls. "Maybe you think twice before breaking another's heart."

Valyya was attempting to free Ruby from the lens, but she was wedged in there. Her arms and legs were almost sunk into the lens.

"You're really stuck in there," said Valyya pulling with all her might.

Imitatia then picked herself up and her body was twisted up. "It's no use," she said as she began straightening out. "You can attack all you want, but my body doesn't feel pain. There's absolutely nothing you can do that makes me forget my purpose. In other words I will be phased by ridiculous emotions."

Ruby and Valyya just stared at her.

Hiccup narrowed his eyes. "If they're so ridiculous then how do you explain that look in your eye?"

"What look?"

"Don't play down with me," said Hiccup. "People who fight for something they believe in, even the bad guys, always have some kind of brightness in their eyes. It's different than that spaced out look you've got now."

Imitatia narrowed her eyes. "How would you know?"

"Because it's the love eyewear every single day."

Snotlout looked at Valyya. "Making any progress at their, Valyya?"

"I'm pulling, but she won't budge," said Valyya.

Imitatia then took on a fighting position. "You're trying to confuse me, but my heart is unwavering. I'm doing this for my big sister."

Hiccup raised _Inferno_. "Isn't that a coincidence? Because the same goes for us." He then looked directly at her. "Toothless has a theory and if he's right we have to defeat you if we want to save Ruby. So guess what? You're going down!"

"Let's do this!" Snotlout yelled.

Hiccup then took a deep breath. " _Fire Dragon's Roar!_ " he yelled unleashing his breath attack.

Snotlout then roared as he charged at her.

Imitatia merely blocked the attack with the shield and dispel the flames. "He doesn't faze me."

Snotlout then jumped into the air. _"Takeover! Belcusas!_ "

Snotlout then took the form of the creature that Zathralan had summoned during the Battle of Cove Island.

However before he could land a single attack, Imitatia somersaulted over him and suddenly vines covered with forms began to wrap around him.

"What in the? What is she going to me?" he stared.

The moment the vines touched his skin he pulled an extreme amount of pain rushing through his body.

"A shock from my _Cilice_ is about debilitating pain," she said.

Hiccup had managed to jump over her placed himself in a perfect position. " _Fire Dragon's Plasma Blast!_ "

He fired a plasma blast directly at Imitatia, but then vines shot out from the flames and wrapped themselves around him and he to experience a great amount of pain.

Valyya has stopped trying to free Ruby and was now running across the wall. "I can't believe you betrayed your own sister!" she yelled as she jumped. Imitatia raised her shield blocking her many kicks. "Just for a stupid mission!"

Imitatia then pushed her back with her shield. "What mission?" she asked as one of her away with her sword.

"Valyya!" Ruby cried.

"I couldn't care less about the orders I was given over feeling meaningless tasks. I follow my heart and nothing more," she said plainly. "It may be filled with pain and sorrow, but that heartache is what compels me to fight. Magic is all about heart and the power of my determination is second to none."

* * *

Meanwhile Toothless and Skullcrusher risking their wings after searching the entire area.

"Any luck?" Skullcrusher asked.

Toothless shook his head. "No looked all over, but there's no sign of Windshear anywhere. I'm worried that he's going to find Ruby before we do."

"Calm down, she won't be that easy to find in a giant place like this," said Skullcrusher.

"I understand the _Legion Platoon_ is just trying to stop the Infinity Clock like we are, but why her Ruby?" Toothless frowned.

Skullcrusher looked at him. "She think she's doing the right thing even though we may not agree. To her it is what must be done."

"She seems look at you maybe you should tell him that she's wrong," Toothless advised.

"I've tried, but he's quite stubborn."

* * *

Windshear was actually climbing up the gears back towards the central chamber. She knew that he had no choice but to do and it was really about the temples, Guilds, humans, elves or dwarfs it was just what she believed. The only thing she had ever known was the doctrine of the _Temple of Thor_ and she must follow it even if it meant fighting Skullcrusher and the others.

* * *

Meanwhile at _Dragon Tail_ Guild, beyond and the others had finally managed to decrypt the information from the books.

"We've done everyone!" he announced. "We've actually finished deciphering it!"

"Really?" said Gobber looking up.

"So tell us how do we go about stopping the _Real Nightmare_?" Stoick asked still conjuring the spell to shield them.

"The only way to do that is to terminate the Infinity Clock ownership," said Bjorn. "Basically the seals landed on it must be removed."

"I bet Toothless is going to be thrilled that he was right," Fishlegs beamed.

"This definitely supports this theory?" Gobber nodded. "That we shouldn't be surprised considering that he's been with Hiccup ever since he hatched."

"We know Grim Reaper and Racer have fallen so far. That means there's four left," said Stoick.

"If we can defeat them then we can save Ruby," said Fishlegs.

"Now that we know what to do I say is time for us to take action," said Bjorn.

"Hiccup and the others are already on it," said Gobber.

"I'm confident that they can defeat the _Neo-Oración Seis_ ," said Stoick confidently.

* * *

Deep within the Infinity Ship Astrid and Cobra was still battling against one another. She was finding it very difficult to hit him and defend and she was actually using a greatsword in order to shield the sonic attack he was unleashing upon her. It only stood for a few seconds before it shattered and she fell down onto one knee.

"Nice try, but am afraid you're out of luck, Freyja," said Cobra. "My _Ultra Shockwave_ can instantly obliterate even the strongest of blades."

"Can you still hear what I'm thinking?" Astrid asked summoning yet another greatsword.

"All I can hear right now is that you think you can beat me," said Cobra.

"Yes, and that is all that you're going to hear until I beat you to the ground."

She then jumped into the air and raised her greatsword, but Cobo unleashed another sonic blast before the blade to touch him. The blade then shattered and she was sent flying across the chamber they were in.

Fortunately, Astrid was able to grab hold of one of the floating blocks, but Cobra appeared above and pinned his foot onto her hand.

"Now I hear your desperation as he tried to think of a way to overpower me," he said. "And that strong will of yours refusing to give up the fight."

"It seems your favourite sound is that of your own voice. You and Snotlout would get along," Astrid mocked. "Your magic doesn't frighten me. I can hear thoughts as well."

"Is that so?" said Cobra then unleashed another powerful sonic blast.

It was so powerful that it sent Astrid crashing down is another one of the cubes. Astrid picked herself then looked directly at Cobra.

"I can hear the thought of my friends," she said. "They're saying that they refuse to lose and that I shouldn't give in either."

"I hate to break it to you, but those are your thoughts," said Cobra. "You're so desperate to win that your mind is starting to play tricks on you."

Astrid shook her head. "You wouldn't understand. You're wrong, I know they belong to my friends, because they are always with me. Their love and friendship is the source of my strength, it drives me." She then looked at him. "You have friends, don't you? Can't you hear them in your heart?"

Cobra narrowed his eye at her. "I warn you, the more you talk the angrier I get."

Astrid then summoned her battle-axe and began jumping from cube to cube towards him. She then used her magic to transform into a _Monstrous Nightmare Armour_ and then slammed her blazing battle-axe on top of him.

However, Cobo unleashed a powerful sonic blast and the two attacks collided with the end result has been flung outside the Infinity Ship. Fortunately she was able to transform into the _Night Fury Armour_ and used her wings to stabilise herself.

Unfortunately, she was going to happen collided with one of the chains, but she was able to regain her footing and maintained her balance. She then transformed into her _Skrill Armour_ and had her spear at the ready as Cobra jumped down and landed on the chain they were on.

"Your stubborn one, aren't you?" said Cobra folding his arms. "You and Night Fury are really a perfect match for one another."

Astrid looked at him. "I know what you went through in a _Tower of Valhalla_ , I suffer the same pain and anguish as you as did Valka. But what I don't understand is why you want anyone else to suffer the same way."

She then began channelling lightning into her spear.

"Are you referring to _Real Nightmare_?" said Cobra. "I honestly don't care what happens with it. Talk about make others suffer, here you are yammering on about all your comrade when I lost the only friend I ever had!"

Astrid looked up. "I knew you were hiding something from me. Step out of the shadows and into the light, it's the only way to free yourself from the pain you're feeling!"

She then jumped into the air then created a Magic Circle and began shooting lightning directly at Cobra. However, he merely dodge the attack with the greatest of ease and appear directly behind her.

"'Step out of the shadows and into the light?'" he scoffed. "There's no way you could understand."

* * *

Ragnar was squaring off against Valkyrie in the greenhouse.

"So there's only four left, huh," said Ragnar as he removed his shirt. "Well, I'm about to make it three."

Valkyrie raise an eyebrow. "Why did you take your shirt off?"

Ragnar ignore the question and then places hands together. "You gave me a good beat down last time, but not this time. You'll be a real Valkyrie when I'm done."

"Oh, how I hate stubborn men," said Valkyrie shaking her head.

"Beating up girls isn't really my thing, but I've got to do this to save my friend," said Ragnar narrowing his eyes. "This one is for Ruby!"

* * *

Meanwhile at the Archon's chambers, Speedfist had just received a message from the Guildhall.

"All right, thanks for keeping us up-to-date," he said gratefully. "It is really good to know that Toothless' theory was right and if we defeat all the _Neo-Oración Seis_ they're field will disappear from the Infinity Clock."

"That means they'll completely lose ownership of it and with nobody left control the clock the _Real Nightmare_ is bound to disappear as well," said Stormfly.

Merrill frowned looking concerned. "But what about Ruby?"

"Bjorn thinks she'll be freed as soon as all the seals are gone," said Speedfist.

Merrill began looking around looking slightly troubled. "I don't know why, but it feels like the oceans are getting restless."

"I agree," said Stormfly. "Do you think it's possible the effects of the _Real Nightmare_ had been weakened because two of the six Seal on the Infinity Clock have disappeared?"

"I hope so, but I'm a little afraid that the Clock will try and protect the seals."

* * *

Meanwhile Ragnar was facing against Valkyrie as he just summoned Saleif once again.

"So I'll be facing you again," said Saleif as he took up a fighting stance.

"Great, her again," Ragnar moaned. He then places hands together. " _Ice Geyser!_ "

He then unleashed a powerful surge of ice straight towards Saleif, but she didn't look faze I bit.

"They Valkyrie's light is like 1000 suns," she said as he raised his shield and omitted a very bright light that sent Ragnar back.

However, a few seconds later, it turned out that Ragnar she was staring at was nothing more than an ice clone he had created which promptly shattered.

"What?" Saleif stared.

Ragnar was in fact directly behind her in her blind spot. "That was just a decoy. _Ice-Make: Death Scythe!_ "

Ragnar places hands together and formed a very large scythe and sliced Saleif with it. Immediately she began to vanish and Ragnar noted there was some sort of red ooze embedded in.

The moment she was gone the coins Valkyrie used to summon her fell to the ground and vanished. Valkyrie then clutched her chest in pain as she collapsed and fell to the ground.

"Curse you," said Valkyrie.

She looked up and saw Ragnar was pointing his scythe directly at her. "Looks like I vile harpy you call a Valkyrie back to Valhalla."

"That's right," said Valkyrie looking at him. "Back to Valhalla." She then gave a dreamy look much the Ragnar surprise and equally surprising she positioned the tip of his scythe over her heart. "Go on, I want you to impale me."

Ragnar stared at her. "Say what? Have you gone insane?"

"I want to vanish into the sky like a Valkyrie, I wanted more than anything in the world."

Ragnar couldn't believe he was hearing this. "What?"

"Please I'm begging you send me into the sky with Saleif. It's my wish, I want to be among the Valkyries. When you make my wish come true this will truly become a _Death Scythe_?"

"What in the name of Helheim has gotten into you?" Ragnar stared.

A few seconds later his scythe vanished and he turned his back towards her.

Valkyrie looked up clearly surprised by this motion. "What's wrong? Why can't you do it?"

"No, I could, but I don't wanta," he said plainly without looking at her.

Valkyrie then narrowed her eyes and got to her feet. "If you're not going to grant me my wish then I'll have to destroy you." She then placed a hand over her chest and a golden glow appeared. " _Cost 30! I summon Eyrifa!_ "

Suddenly appearing out of thin air was the same Valkyrie that she summoned in the ancient ruins, the one that nearly killed them.

"Odin's beard. It's one after another with her," said Ragnar. He quickly created a shield just as Eyrifa fired a range of blood red projectiles at him. "You're not Valkyrie! You're an elf and you know it!"

Suddenly his shield shattered leaving him wide open.

"Time's up," said Valkyrie.

Eyrifa began to form a powerful attack right in front of Ragnar.

"Oh crap," he said.

Eyrifa unleashed the attack upon him, but then suddenly it was redirected in all different directions. It only took a few seconds to realise that Daan had appeared out of nowhere and deflected the attack.

"No way," Ragnar stared.

"All right, everyone let's calm down, I'm here," said Daan.

Valkyrie rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Great, not you again."

"At long last, I have found you, my beautiful Valkyrie," he said. He then turned to face her. "You can play hard to get, but I will win you over, my love. You can't run forever."

"Hurry and dispose of him, Eyrifa," Valkyrie commanded looking at Eyrifa.

Eyrifa began to form the same attack she try to use on Ragnar. However, just like last time Daan uses shield to ward of the attack.

"Watch it, pal! Didn't anyone ever tell you not to come across between two lovers!" he roared and plunged his spear into Eyrifa.

Immediately the Valkyrie began to vanish and Valkyrie herself looked as if she was witnessing great pain. This did not go unnoticed by Ragnar and wondered what was going on.

Daan then looked at Ragnar. "Okay, scram. You've plenty of alone time with my beautiful Valkyrie. It only fair that I get some too don't you think?"

Ragnar frowned. "Hang on, you don't even know what's going on, do you? I mean what about Ruby?"

"I'm sure that Hiccup and Valyya will figure out a way to help my ex somehow," Daan shrugged.

Ragnar rolled his eyes. "So now she's your ex?"

Daan looked up at Valkyrie. "I just had a chat with Ragnar and he's cool with us running up and starting our new lives together!"

"That's the last thing I want," Valkyrie grumbled.

Daan then rushed up to her and placed an arm around her. "This is the beginning of our happily ever after, my beautiful Valkyrie. Come on, our honeymoon awaits!"

"You disgust me!" Valkyrie snapped and shoved him away.

She shook him so hard that he felt the podium she was standing on and onto the ground.

"Talk about divine intervention," Ragnar sighed.

Valkyrie narrowed her eyes at Daan as you place a hand close to her chest and a golden glow emanating from it. "You're vulgar, distasteful and a complete waste of breath."

"She's playing coy," Daan smiled. "Just watch, she'll come running at any moment."

"You really have no and the one women, do you?" said Ragnar shaking his head.

Valkyrie then tossed 10 coins into the air. " _Cost of 100, I ask that you come for from the light and obliterated in my name. I summon the Valkyrie, who plays the sound of the end times, Relrun!_ "

Suddenly appearing directly in front of them was a never Valkyrie creature. However, this one was far different from the others. She possessed a giant pair of wings; four long arms and seven heads, each holding a horn.

"I won't back down!" Daan roared. "I'm willing to risk my life for you, my beautiful Valkyrie."

"Mayor you ride in pain and agony, until death seems like a blessing from above," said Valkyrie.

Suddenly Relrun unleashed a powerful sonic wave that was blown from the many horns she held. Daan raised his shield for protection, but much like Hiccup's _Heatwave Spell_ it had no effect upon the sonic blast

"There's nothing can stop me," said Daan as he held his ground. His shield soon began to crack. "I'll fight until the day I win your heart!"

However, it was too much and both his shield and armour shattered and he collapsed to the ground. Valkyrie nearly giggled at the display clearly enjoying herself.

Ragnar rushed up to him. "Come on, you're gotta pull yourself together," he said.

"Whoa, I had no idea that you cared so much about me," Daan winced before he fell unconscious.

Ragnar then glared up at Valkyrie. "How could you?"

"That man lacks beauty and intelligence, he's pathetic. He simply deserves to die," she said simply.

Ragnar got to his feet. "You are begging me to kill a minute ago. When acting like yours all high and mighty! You're no better than him! You don't have the right to choose whether someone lives or dies!"

Valkyrie merely smiled. "Of course I do, I'm a Valkyrie."

"What?"

"No, I'm sorry what I meant to say is that I'm a maiden who longs to be a Valkyrie. I have no doubt that I'll becomes one someday, but I wanted so desperately I can get impatient."

Ragnar stared at her. "Huh?"

"Yes, I know that one day my wish will come true," said Valkyrie as she placed her hands together over her chest as if she was praying. "And when it does the power my miraculous _Valkyrie Magic_ will bathe me in its divine light and wash away all of my sin."

"What's sin?"

"The worst of all, being born a mortal."

Ragnar just stared at her shaking his head. "You don't honestly believe that do you?"

"I chipped away with my own life whenever I summon Valkyries," said Valkyrie as she stood on Relrun's shoulder and leaned against her head. "But I don't mind. It's a sacrifice I am willing to make to become one myself."

Ragnar's eyes widened when he realised what she meant. "Those coins represent your life force and you're throwing them away?"

Valkyrie merely shrugged. "What can I say, I'm ready to wear real Valkyrie armour. The more angelic power I wield the more ugliness I see in the mortal world. Yes, this wretched place is nothing more than a cesspit overflowing with greed." She then looked up at the ceiling with a dreamy look on her face. "To vanish into the sky like a Valkyrie, that is my wish. I want to bid farewell to this rotten world and never return. I will vanish beautifully."

Valkyrie then jumped off Relrun and landed right behind Ragnar.

Ragnar sighed with disappointment. "You may be alive, but you're dead on the inside."

"How so?" Valkyrie asked turning towards him.

"You can't be happy. All you ever do is babble on about sin and how this world is a rotten place." Ragnar then turn towards narrowing his eyes. "But you made that choice. Just look at this guy," he said gesturing to Dann. "He may be lovesick and deranged, but he's honest with himself. He chooses to live life to the fullest.

"If there's one thing _Dragon Tail_ has taught me is that no matter how hard things get, you never give up. We all laugh, yell and even try as hard as we can! We make the most out of every single day, because each one of them counts!"

Valkyrie merely smiled looking slightly amused. "Goodness, you don't have to yell at me like that."

Ragnar looked at her in disgust. "People like you make me sick. The only reason you want to die so bad is because you hardly even lived. If you refuse to be a part of this war then you have no right to call a rotten place, because the truth is you don't know anything about it."

As Ragnar talked the skin upon Relrun began to crack. Inside the cracks formed was a strange ugly red ooze.

"The way you spat out that nonsense you sound like a spoiled brat who is pretending to be a Valkyrie," Ragnar continued.

Valkyrie narrowed her eyes. "You think it's nonsense, do you?" she said completely unaware of the cracks forming within Relrun.

"Why even bother vanishing?" Ragnar asked pointing a finger at her. "There's no need, because you're pretty much gone already."

Suddenly the same cracks began to form around Valkyrie and there was a deep rage within her eyes.

"How dare you mock me!" she roared in anger is a dark aura covered her body. "Belittle my deepest wish."

"Whao, what in the name of Thor is happening to you?" Ragnar frowned.

Valkyrie was completely unaware of her body's metamorphosis and then turned to her Valkyrie. "Relrun! Destroy him at once!"

At that precise moment the skin around Relrun shattered as it sent a powerful sonic blast. It was so powerful that Ragnar was flung to the opposite end of the room. Slowly the entire rooms started to be filled with the same red ooze that came from Valkyrie's Valkyrie and she didn't even notice that her own body was mutating or the fact that her armour had shattered leaving small pieces to cover her body.

"Yes," she said with a mad look in her eye. "That is a wonderful start! Now keep at it until the fool is torn to pieces!"

Ragnar looked at the strange creature that used to be a Valkyrie. "What is that?" he frowned. "It's disgusting." Valkyrie looked completely unaware of this and it looked as if she was going mad. "This isn't funny! Can't you see that your own magic is about to devour you?"

"Stay away!" Valkyrie ordered.

Immediately the creature fired several projectiles in all different directions. Ragnar then ran down the steps he was on and began an ice shield to block them and he then jumped right into the belly of the beast.

"Prepare to meet your destruction filthy human!" Valkyrie roared. Ragnar then grabbed her and pinned her down onto the floor. "Let me go!"

"That ain't going to happen," said Ragnar he then gestured everything around them. "Would you have a look around? Your beloved Valkyrie is about to take over and kill you."

Valkyrie's eyes widened. "But why?"

"Hasn't anyone ever told you that a stronger spell is the more demanding it is?" Ragnar asked. "When a weak minded Viking casts a powerful spell it can backfire and engulf its caster."

"I'm not weak minded! I'm stronger than you can ever imagine!"

"I'm not going to argue with you! Just look at your Valkyrie!" Ragnar yelled.

Valkyrie then saw, possibly for the first time, that her Valkyrie had now become a huge disgusting monster.

"Now tell me is this really what you been what longing for all this time?" Ragnar asked. "I can guarantee that if this thing takes you anyway it's not going to be pretty blue skies, but more like a pit of untold darkness."

"It's so ugly," said Valkyrie in disgust.

"Yes, it is," Ragnar nodded. "This is the true form of the magic you gained. It's just a parasite, feeding of your life so it can grow. This is what you've become, if you don't stop it there's no going back."

"So this… is me?" Valkyrie asked looking utterly terrified.

"Come on you got a snap out of it!" Ragnar yelled shaking her. "You're not a Valkyrie! You're an elf. You're a living breathing mortal but not for long."

"I know that's not true!" Valkyrie yelled in defiance. "I'm not an elf, I am a Valkyrie!"

The creature slowly began to consume them and Ragnar knew they didn't have much time.

"Wake up you idiot!" Ragnar yelled at the top of his voice. "You're going to vanish for good as this lump of flesh swallow you whole!"

The creature continued to swallow them up until there was no trace of them.

"This isn't what you wished for!" Ragnar yelled in a muffled voice.

Eventually the creature completely swallow them and Valkyrie just laid there in utter terror. For she now realised that this monster was in fact her.

Then suddenly at that point a massive surge of magic rushed through the belly of the beast and she found herself freed from its clutches. She looked up and saw that Ragnar was unleashing all his magic at one go in an attempt to freeze the creature.

"You've got to get it together," said Ragnar as he held his ground. "You can't let your magic get the best of you. You have to live!"

"No, please," said Valkyrie begged. She realised that he Ragnar destroyed this creature that all her life force would be gone. "Help me!" She looked up at the monster that stood frozen in its tracks. "I'm scared! Make it stop! I don't want to vanish, I want to live! I want to live!"

Then suddenly breaking through the ice was Daan with spear in hand. He then plunges they were all his might straight towards Valkyrie and the tip struck it in her cleavage and massive surge of light insured.

"Get out of here you pony Valkyrie! I'm sending you back to where you belong!" Ragnar yelled unleashing his magic.

The creature yelled in agony as the ice began to consume it. Valkyrie then watch as the creature shattered into millions of pieces and then there was a bright light.

Ragnar's attack had been so powerful that it had completely destroyed the creature and frozen the floor along with most of the plants. He used so much of it that he felt extremely weak and fell to his knees.

Valkyrie then realise that she was still alive even though Ragnar destroyed the creature. It only took a few seconds to realise that Daan must have done something with his spear.

"It's over," said Ragnar tiredly.

"You've got to admit, my timing was perfect," Daan smiled. "At the exact same moment you destroyed that monster I shrunk the core of Valkyrie's magic to make it as small as I possibly could get it. Basically, you got all your coins back."

"And those years have been added to your life," said Ragnar getting to his feet.

Valkyrie frowned at him. "I don't understand, why did you go to such lengths to save the life of your enemy?"

Ragnar of the back of his head. "Huh, that's actually a pretty good question." He then turned and smiled at her. "I would have like a total jerk if I just let you vanish without a fight."

Valkyrie smiled. "Very well, I admit defeat."

"There you go, spoken like a true Valkyrie," Ragnar smiled.

Daan narrowed his eyes at him. "Don't you get any ideas, buddy. This cutie is all mine."

* * *

Meanwhile in the central chamber, Ruby still trapped and now her eyes have a dazed expression upon them.

"One of the seals has disappeared," she said in an almost robotic voice. "Now they are only three remaining."

Hiccup knew that every passing second she became close to becoming one with the Infinity Ship.

"Hey, Ruby! I know you can hear me right now just hang on! I promise I will save you!" Hiccup yelled at the top of his voice.


	24. I Hear the Voice of My Friend

Hiccup and the others were staring up at Ruby and then gasped, because Ruby's right eye was now bright orange and had a spiral shape upon it. Ruby arms and legs were now with in the lens along with most of her head.

"Warning, another of the seals has disappeared," she said in a robotic sort of voice. "If the remaining three vanish the holders of the clock will lose possession."

"Ruby snap out of it!" Hiccup yelled.

He then heard a large and turned to see Brain appearing in thin air. "No matter how much you plead, it's useless," he said playing with braids. "Very soon Ruby Hearfull and the Infinity Clock will become one and once they are complete merged we will finally have absolute control over _Real Nightmare._ "

"Not happening," said Hiccup.

"I won't let anybody touch my big sister," said Imitatia defiantly. "She and I will stay together for the rest of time for all of eternity."

* * *

Meanwhile Ruby was experiencing a vision from the past, it was back when both her father and mother were alive and when she was a little girl. Apparently this was during one of her birthdays and the entire staff was crowded around celebrating.

This confused her greatly, because there was no sign of Sigrid, but then she remembered that it was all just a lie.

* * *

Hiccup was still facing against Imitatia and now Brain had joined the fray.

"Hiccup, what's going on over there?" Speedfist asked using his telepathy. How is Ruby?"

"Not so good," said Hiccup. "If we don't hurry she's going to be ignored by the Clock."

* * *

Speedfist was with the others in the Archon's chambers.

"Are you serious?" he gasped.

"Ruby is going to become part of the Infinity Clock," Phlegma gasped in horror.

"That must be why telepathy can't reach," Stormfly concluded.

"There's got to be some way we can help her," said Merrill.

"You won't be helping anyone without rest," said Stormfly firmly.

"Hey, listen up everybody we've got to finish beating up the _Oración Seis_ right now," said Speedfist broadcasting the message to everyone in range. "Because once Ruby merges with the Infinity Clock it's game over. We can't let that happen!"

* * *

Astrid was still battling against Cobra and swung her lightning covered spear towards him. Unfortunately, he merely moved his head out of the way and it passed by him harmlessly. It however it did destroy his cape.

"I heard that," said Cobra once the smoke cleared. "If you defeat me my seal will be taken off the Clock, but you don't have much time left to do that. So just give up and save yourself."

"Never!" Astrid yelled. "I would never surrender to you."

"You think that even if you fall that your friends will still be around to help you?" Cobra spat. "There's no way you can win believing in something so naïve!"

He then unleashed a powerful site blast, but Astrid avoided it by jumping into the air.

" _Requip!_ " she yelled taking the form of her _Scauldron Armour_.

She then began to swing her what a covered sword at Cobra, but he dodged every single swing.

"True power requires true sacrifice and what we gained can never be replaced!" he yelled slamming the palm of his hand upon her sword. He then sent a massive sonic blast into it. "Dagur's memory! Racer's humanity! Valkyrie gave away years from her life! But you and your friends don't have the strength to make sacrifices! We gave up everything to get the kind of power you will never have!"

* * *

In the Archon's chambers, Speedfist picked up another signal.

"Hey, who is this?" Speedfist asked placing his fingers on his temple. "Gustav? What are you doing here? You weren't supposed to come along with us."

"I hitched a ride on the _Christina_ without anyone noticing," Gustav explained. "Did you really expect me to stay behind in a time like this?"

"I can't believe you," Speedfist groaned. "I understand why you did it, but still kid."

Merrill then placed a hand on Speedfist. "Hey, Gustav, can you hear me?" she said.

"Hey," Gustav nodded.

"Try and find another member of _Dragon Tail_ okay," she said.

"But do it quickly," said Speedfist. "Ruby is in trouble and the only way to save her is to beat the _Neo-Oración Seis_."

"Which way should I go?" Gustav asked.

"Hiccup is the closest person to you," said Stormfly. "I'll tell you where to find him."

"Thank you," said Gustav gratefully.

"Toothless! Skullcrusher!" Speedfist called.

"We just heard all of it," said Toothless.

"We'll go and meet them there once," said Skullcrusher.

"We're counting on you," said Speedfist. "You're the only ones that can stop Windshear."

"Understood," said the two Exceeds.

"What is the Archon's condition?" said a voice behind them.

Immediately they looked up and saw Byro and a squad of guards entering into the chambers. Byro looked pretty beaten up no doubt from his battle with Gildarts.

"It's you,"Speedfist gasped.

"Oh no, what happened to Gildarts?" Phlegma asked fearing the worst.

"Both he and another one of your comrade took a fall, but I'm sure that unharmed," said Byro. He then approached them. "Now can you tell me what's become of Windshear and the others?"

"There's no reason for you to go after Ruby anymore," said Phlegma.

"If all Six Demons are defeated their seals will vanish from the clock they'll lose control," Stormfly explained.

"True, but it will all be for naught once Ruby Heartfull completely merges with the device," Byro pointed out. "Correct?"

"Yeah, but…" said Merrill.

"There is yet another way," said a new voice.

Everyone turned and saw the Archon had awoken and was now standing behind.

"Your Excellency," Byro gasped as he and his men went down on one knee.

"Finally my nightmare is now ended," he said relieved. "It was such a helpless feeling. Being controlled like a puppet, forced into actions that brought about this situation. However, these kind souls put their very lives on the line in order to rescue me. Although I didn't attend for it, I was forced into the position of their enemy. Admit the chaos they came to my aid."

"Sir," Phlegma spoke.

"Can you please explain something to us?" Speedfist asked.

"Yes please, sir. You know about the Clock," Merrill begged. "Isn't that right?"

The Archon turned towards them and clearly had expected the question. "I assume you want to know how you can free the captured _Celestial Viking_."

* * *

Ruby's upper torso and head was the only thing not absorbed into the lens. Hiccup meanwhile was facing Imitatia hoping to appeal to her one last time.

"You say you want to be with Ruby forever, huh?" he said. "Have you ever thought about what she might want? I can tell you that she just wants to believe in you again. You betrayed her, but I know she can forgive you. Why can't you understand that?"

Imitatia just remain silent.

"Don't confuse the issue," said Brain. "Imitatia is simply attempting to reclaim that that she once lost. Aren't you?"

Imitatia bit her lip.

"Listen!" Hiccup yelled.

However, Imitatia was done with listening and tossed his shield towards him, but fortunately he was able to dodge the attack.

"I know my sister and I want the same thing," she said as he tossed the shield back towards him again. "After all, we were always together before!"

Hiccup managed to dodge the shield attacks, but then she appeared behind him with her sword raised. Hiccup frowned at that statement in confusion, because Ruby had never mentioned her before.

"What?" he frowned.

Suddenly she was not backwards by a purple flame and everyone turned to find Gustav standing there with purple flames in both hands.

"You liar!" he yelled in anger.

"Gustav?" Hiccup stared.

"No one believes a single thing you say anymore! It's over!" he yelled. "You lied when you said you were Sigrid! So why in the name of Helheim should we believe you now?"

"It's the truth! I was there!" Imitatia yelled.

Gustav then tossed his fireballs at her again and then he jumped into the air.

"You know how happy Ruby was to meet you?" he asked. He then slammed his fiery fist against her shield. "She just lost a family member when you came along! Her heart was broken and you took advantage of the pain she was in!"

He then backed away instead at her with anger in his eyes.

"She put her trust in you. So did I, but then… you lied!"

"Gustav, look…" Imitatia began.

"Don't let this child words weaken your resolved," said Brain. "Remember anyone who stands in your way is the enemy."

"So, what you have to save yourself, huh?" Gustav yelled as he jumped into the air with a fireball in each hand.

"Kill him," Brain commanded.

Hiccup could only watch as Imitatia knocked Gustav back with her shield.

"Gustav!" Hiccup yelled.

Imitatia clearly reluctant with performing the attack, but that didn't change the fact that Gustav was tossed to the other side of the room. By some miracle that anyone had been killed, but he was now extremely weak.

"Sigrid," he said weakly. "How could you?"

He then fell unconscious.

Hiccup's claims and were set ablaze as he approached Imitatia. "All right, enough is enough. I no longer care you used to be. You're going to pay for what you've done, I have to say Ruby and you're in my way."

"I see," said Imitatia turning towards him.

"Do not fail me, Imitatia," said Brain. "And be sure you don't forget who's in charge here. If you wish for me to breathe life into your prayer show your loyalty."

Hiccup then places hands together and fired a stream of fire towards Imitatia, but she ran towards it and saluted beneath it. She then struck Hiccup with her sword and then struck in the back with her shield.

Ruby found herself unable to move and could only watch in despair as the two of them fought to the death.

' _Please, Sigrid. Please stop,_ ' she begged.

Hiccup got back to his feet and looked at Imitatia. "You're going to regret that."

Brain leaned towards Imitatia and whispered in her ear. "Now snuff him out. Extinguish his fire and realise your dream. I can make it come to volition."

"Tangle him," said Imitatia as vines began to protrude from her body. "Rip this fool to shreds!"

The vines immediately launched towards Hiccup and wrapped themselves around him preventing them from moving. She then commanded the vines slammed him into the ground hard.

' _I'm begging you_ ,' Ruby begged even though she knew that no one could hear. ' _Please_ …'

Then suddenly she stood up straight. "Warning, a bloodthirsty enemy is quickly approaching," said Ruby in her robotic voice.

Everyone immediately stopped fighting.

"Who is it?" Valyya frowned.

Then suddenly bursting through the ceiling was none other than Windshear and he quickly made his way up the steps towards Ruby.

"No, Windshear!" Valyya yelled. "What are you doing here?"

"The only thing I can do," she said as she drew her claw blades and wings. She then flew down towards Ruby with every attention of killing her. "Killing Ruby Heartfull so we can put an end to this madness!"

"No!" Imitatia breathed.

Everything went into slow motion as Windshear flew towards Ruby with her claws drawn, but she stopped in mid-air. The reason for this was quite simple, Valyya somehow managed to place herself between her and Ruby and acted as a living shield.

"Move aside, Valyya," Windshear commanded.

"No, never!" Valyya yelled.

"We don't have time to argue about this!"

"Then go ahead! If you want to get to Ruby you're going to have to tear through me first!"

Windshear was taken aback by this statement. "Look, I put aside Temple doctrine for now. I'm doing this solely for the greater good."

"Even if you know in your heart that is wrong!"

"Is it? I don't even need to calculate the outcome this time. We train one live for the sake of our entire civilisation!"

Windshear then flew down towards Valyya preparing to strike her down along with Ruby. Then suddenly from out of nowhere Toothless, in his combat form, punched her in the side of the face.

"No you don't!" he yelled.

The punch was so hard that Windshear was pushed away and Skullcrusher, who was also his battle form, joined Toothless.

"It's you," she stared.

"I'll take care of her," said Skullcrusher.

"You sure?" Toothless asked.

"Positive."

"Just in time," Hiccup smiled.

Skullcrusher looked up at Windshear. "So your answer is more bloodshed. You need to learn the value of life," he said. "I guess I have to school you some more."

"Come and get me," said Windshear.

"Windshear!" Skullcrusher yelled something in his wings and tackling her.

Toothless then turned to Ruby and snapped his fingers in front of her. "Come on, wake up," he pleaded. "Ruby? Can you hear me?"

Ruby wanted nothing more than to answer him. ' _Yes, I can hear you, but I can't move. I can't do anything_.' She could see the unconscious bodies of Snotlout and Gustav, Windshear and Skullcrusher classing. ' _I see my friends beaten in front of me, but there's nothing I can do to help. It breaks my heart, I can't stand to see my friends in such pain_.'

Toothless and Valyya then saw one of Ruby's eyes peering up.

"She's crying," Valyya breathed.

"I bet that means she can hear us," said Toothless.

"Ruby is fighting even harder than we are," said Hiccup as flames consumed his body burning away the vines surrounding him. "There's no way in the name of Thor we're giving up now!"

"He is certainly a stubborn one," said Brain. "We should have killed him earlier instead of taking him hostage."

Imitatia drew her sword and charged at Hiccup, who drew _Inferno_ and the two of them began to clash and looked at each other's eyes.

Brain looked at Hiccup. "You can fight, but it's too late. You have zero chance of victory."

* * *

Astrid was still squaring off against Cobra and something puzzled in her mind.

"Tell me, why do you go to such lengths for power?" she asked. "Causing all this chaos and pain, dragging the whole world into your sorrow. Is your desire for vengeance that strong?"

"Yes," said Cobra. "And that's not all, Freyja." He then unleashed another sonic blast straight at her. "I'm doing this so I can face Cubellios!"

Astrid quickly changed into her _Changewing Armour_ before she was flung backwards into one of the chains. She nearly fell to her death if she hadn't grabbed hold of it and then she looked at Cobra.

"Don't you understand? Now that I've given up all that I had, I have no fear of losing everything," said Cobra strongly. "And without that kind of fear, I have true power!"

* * *

Speedfist meanwhile was sending a telepathic message to everyone.

"Listen up everyone," he said. "There's still hope. We've found a way to slow down Ruby's merging with the Infinity Clock. I'll go ahead and let the Archon explain it to you."

Valyya looked up. "The Archon is with him?"

The Archon then placed a hand on Speedfist's shoulder so that he could communicate with everyone.

"For the Clock to fully merge with the sacrificial _Celestial Viking_ it must slowly become integrated with the individual's mind as well as their sense of time," said the Archon. "To put it in another way, it must combine with her memory. The change extending from the Infinity Ship served two purposes. Not only did they spread the _Real Nightmare_ spell into the earth, but they also absorb all the magic power and memory of those that dwell on it."

"So, we can buy some time, but were gonna have to stop breaking those chains," said Speedfist. "Byro and his men have already started the job. We have to help them finish it."

"Okay, looks like I'm going to need an appetite for this job," said Eret looking at all the chains.

Skullcrusher and Windshear have stopped the fighting after hearing the Archon's voice. The two of them had reverted back into the normal form and Windshear looks slightly awkward.

"You hear that?" Skullcrusher asked.

"Yes, very clearly," Windshear nodded. She looked down at her feet. "It seems I was wrong."

"Forget it," said Skullcrusher dismissively. "Everybody makes a mistake sometimes, I know I certainly have. The real test…"

"Is how you make things right," said Windshear looking at him. "Isn't it?"

Immediately the two of them summoned their wings and flew down the corridor so they could get outside.

"Let's go and cut some chains!" said Skullcrusher.

"Yes, and whoever severs the most is the true victor," Windshear smiled. "Sounds good?"

"You're on."

* * *

Hiccup swung _Inferno_ which was now covered in plasma. " _Fire Dragon's Plasma Blade_!" he yelled slamming his blade into Imitatia's shield.

"You're not giving up," she said at the impact caused her to lose some ground. "You really think you have a chance?"

"I heard what the Archon said so of course I do," said Hiccup.

"Such a feeble hope," said Brain shaking his head. "Go ahead and waste all your power."

* * *

Astrid was facing against Cobra upon the chains and watched as poison emanated from his arms burning away his sleeves. His arms then turned into scales and became more dragon like.

"It's time I finished you once and for all," he said. "Cubellios, you gave me one final breath before you depart it. Now I'll put it to use."

"So, he's one of the _Second Generation Dragon Slayers_ just as Hiccup said," said Astrid.

"I'll rot the flesh from your bones!" Cobra roared. " _Poison Dragon's Roar!_ "

Cobra then unleashed his breath attack upon Astrid and then suddenly there was a massive big bang. Cobra just stared dumbfounded, because Astrid was able to block the attack using the hammer Bjorn gave her.

"What happened?" he stared.

"This ancient weapon was created to warn away off evil," said Astrid. "As you say it is very well in battle."

"I can't hear your thoughts if you don't know them yourself," said Cobra his eyes widened. "You grab that weapon completely from instinct!"

"You should try listening to my heart," Astrid advised.

Cobra listen to her thoughts and realise what she was planning. "So you're willing to make a big sacrifice after all. You'll cut these chains and risk killing both!"

Astrid then jumped into the air and raised the hammer which began to glow with a golden light.

"Here's one!" She yelled and slammed the hammer onto the chain breaking it instantly.

Fortunately, Cobra was able to jump onto another nearby chain, but when he looked up he saw Astrid heading back down towards him with her hammer still growing.

"Two!" she yelled destroying it another chain.

It wasn't just have to destroying the chains, but everyone was pitching in.

"It's too late for this!" Cobra yelled as they fell from mid-air.

However, no one else seemed to think so.

* * *

Eret was busy eating the change he was on, but it left a nasty taste in his mouth. "Man, this stuff is disgusting," he said. He looked up and saw more chains being shattered. "Whoa, looks like they're going all out up there. Can't let them show me up, can I?"

Gildarts was using his magic to shatter yet another chain. Ragnar was unleashing his eyes upon another making it brittle and Byro and his men had just destroyed another chain and were running across the courtyard to another one.

"We must sever the next chain! Hurry!" he ordered.

He then noticed Grat was also helping. He was using his _Rupture Magic_ and was at it destroying three chains at once.

"I heard the Archon's talking," he said. "Forget about the _Legion Platoon_ , we got turned some frowns upside down and makes what we did wrong! So let's do it!"

Viggo led Daan and Ryker to another chain to assist in the destruction.

Skullcrusher and Windshear were flying around slicing more chains of they flew.

"That five for me," said Windshear.

"I've got seven," said Skullcrusher smugly.

* * *

Brila meanwhile was on the surface running around at the chains were being severed one by one. She was now directly under the Infinity Ship and she could tell she was getting closer to the voice. She had no idea whose voice it was, but all she knew was that he was a friend and that was all she cared about.

* * *

Astrid and Cobra were now standing upon another chain face-to-face.

"Cobra, you told me your power comes from the things you lost," said Astrid. "Your sacrifices. Having nothing to lose isn't the same as being strong."

"If you have a point then go ahead and make it!" Cobra snapped impatiently.

"Fighting to protect what you hold dear, not giving it all away, that's true power," said Astrid as she got ready just one her hammer once again. "You can't only live for yourself not caring about anything else. If you ask me, that's the very definition of cowardice."

"What?" Cobra snarled.

Astrid then charged towards him. "If this friend of yours was to come back how could you even look them in the eye!"

Cobra then summoned poison for both hands and sent it straight at Astrid with all his might. However, Astrid slammed her hammer into it and it dispelled, but in the blinding light Cobra emerged and swung his fist towards her.

"Shut up!" he roared.

He then slammed the palm of his hand onto the handle the hammer pinning her down to the chain. He then unleashed a powerful sonic blast through her and she yelled in agony.

"You lasted longer than I expected, but it's over now," Cobra smiled. He then raised his claw like hand. "Time to die, Freyja!"

However, before he dealt the final blow to new boys entered into the equation. It was a voice he knew very well, it was Cubellios, but she was no longer a snake.

"Cubellios?" he stared dropping his guard. "It can't be. No way, but still I hear her. She has a different body, but I can still hear her mind." He backed away from Astrid and his way to the edge of the chain looking down at the ground. "It's hard to believe, but I know it's her."

Naturally this left him wide open for an attack.

"It seems you also sacrifice your focus in battle," said Astrid as she picked herself up.

Cobra turned around too late as Astrid jumped into the air with her hammer now blowing once again.

"Damn you!" he yelled first in the palm of his hand onto her hammer and sent a sonic blast through it.

However, he had mustered enough strength in order to counter the attack and felt his power waning. With one final push Astrid was finally able to send him flying, because she knew more than anyone that having friends to care for you doesn't make you weak. It was in fact the opposite and she now knew that Cobra realised the truth.

She then watched as Cobra fell towards the ground with his arm blowing in a golden light and he vanished in the distance. As she watched she knew that Cobra could hear the voice of his friend and telling him that he still care.

* * *

Brila looked up. "That's him," she gasped. "Yes, I can hear his voice."

She then saw a bright light which was in fact Cobra. "He promised that he would return if we were torn apart and now he has!"

She then ran towards where Cobra had crash landed as quickly as she could.

* * *

Meanwhile in the central chamber within the Infinity Ship, Hiccup was still battling against both Imitatia and Brain. Ruby was now almost pulled up by the lens as only her chest and face were the only things that were not submerged into it.

Ruby then looked up and spoke in her robotic voice yet again. "Warning, another seal has been erased. Now only two remain," she announced.

"All right!" Valyya and Toothless cheered.

Hiccup smirked. "Now all I have to do is take down the two of you and it's over."

Imitatia narrowed her eye at him. "How can you be so stubborn and single-minded? At this point all you can do is delay the inevitable. It's far too late to change anything."

"I will complete what my father could not," said Brain as he turned upon Hiccup. "To wipe out all that has formed in this world and to usher in an age of chaos. You got in our way seven years ago, but history will not repeat itself. I will destroy you!"

He then created a very powerful vortex that sucked Hiccup up.

"Hiccup!" Toothless and Valyya cried.

Hiccup was sent flying and slammed into the stone walls on the far side of the room. He then collapsed and landed on the floor looking completely exhausted.

"And just so that you understand the _Celestial Viking_ whose life you're desperately trying to save… she's already gone. A lost cause!" Brain announced. "She could survive a century long slumber, but she will actually become one with the clock and lose herself in tightly. Her mind and body merging with the clock itself at that point she will fade from the memories of those who claim to love her so dearly. Her very existence will be completely erased from this world."

Everyone gasped in horror and Imitatia's eye widened as she turned to Brain.

"No, what are you saying?" he said in horror. "Is that true? She can't, she supposed to stay with me forever."

"But you don't understand I can still happen," said Brain looking at her. "She is simply going to change her form to one that is more suited to our needs. You can still be with her. In fact, she will be the perfect companion for someone as empty as you."

"No," Imitatia breathed. She then dropped her sword. "No! My deepest wish… my one true prayer… this is what I wanted!" she screamed at the top of her voice.

She then spun her shield towards the lens and it slammed into the steps knocking both Toothless and Valyya back.

"Sister!" she screamed as she used the advisable herself towards the lens.

"What are you doing?" Valyya demanded.

"Stay away from her!" Toothless ordered raising his fist.

Imitatia landed and then kicked the two of them aside reverting Toothless back into his normal form.

"No!" she screamed. She turned towards Ruby with her shield acting like a chainsaw. "Sister! Please!"

Everyone stared as he slammed her chainsaw like shield into the lens and watch as he tried desperately to free Ruby.

"Please, forgive me!" she cried. "I'm so sorry! Please!"

Ruby just stared at her as she began to remember Sigrid as the friend she pretended to be.

' _Sigrid, all of your tears, your appetite, your clumsiness. Poor Sigird, you were just suffering all along weren't you?_ '

Brain merely shook his head in disappointment. "How pathetic," he said and extended his hand. "Imitatia, you are no longer useful to me. Back to the trash heap."

He then uses dark magic and suddenly Imitatia began to glow and then she fell down the steps.

"Sister," she said with tears in her eye.

Everyone then watched as she fell and then transformed into a doll and landed at the foot of the steps.

' _Big Sister, I'm so sorry. I love you,_ ' said Imitatia's voice.

Ruby just stared at the door and recognise it almost instantly, because it was the same doll her parents gave her for her birthday, the last birthday she ever spent with her mother. It also explained how she knew so much about Ruby when she was just a child, because he treated that roll as her little sister.

' _It makes sense now_ ,' said Ruby to herself. ' _That's why she wanted things to go back to the way they were before. She wasn't lying to me, she really believed it and at one point I did too. She was my little sister_.'

Brain then slammed his boot upon the doll. "Filthy little piece of garbage."

Hiccup felt anger building up inside him as he rose to his feet. "You monster," he growled.

"Hiccup catch!" Gustav yelled with tears in his eyes and then tossed a fireball towards him.

Hiccup immediately absorbs the flames from it and regained his strength. He then charged at Brain with his fist ablaze.

"Yes, that's it," said Brain before Hiccup punched him hard in the face.

"You really think that other people's suffering is something to laugh at! That it's a joke!" Hiccup yelled. "Prepare yourself, because you're about to witness what true suffering is all about!"


	25. Ruby and Sigrid

Ruby found herself in the middle of nowhere in a place she could describe and she was a little girl again crying her eyes out.

"Why are you crying?" Sigrid's voice asked.

"I can't help it," Ruby cried. "I'm sad because everyone is gone. Mummy. Daddy. And even my little sister."

Sigird then appeared behind and rubbed the back of her head. "So you remember me now," she said happily.

"Hey, I'm sorry I forgot," she cried as she turned and saw Sigrid had turned back into a doll.

"You don't have to apologise," said Sigrid. "I'm just happy that you remember me, Big Sister."

Ruby then turned back to her adult self and smiled at the doll. "Sigrid."

The doll then turned back into Sigrid, who smiled at her.

* * *

Meanwhile everyone who was outside destroying the chains were completely exhausted.

"Oh, come on," Ragnar panted. "How many more these do we have to destroy before this works?"

Astrid had returned to normal attire and was holding the hammer Bjorn had given her. "Speedfist, what's the situation?"

"More than half of the chains are still intact," said Speedfist, who was standing outside next to Merrill and Stormfly. "You guys, please hurry."

"It's no use," Merrill panted. "It's taking us to long."

"I'm afraid we have no other choice but to go through and cut them one by one," said Stormfly regretfully. "Come, child, we have to keep going."

* * *

Hiccup was now battling against Brain inside the main chamber and his fiery fist clashed with his dark magic. Brain then pushed him back and his dark spell turned into tendrils that began to strike Hiccup constantly.

"It won't be long now," he said. Hiccup managed to withstood the attack and looked directly at him. "Once I fill my father's wish everything will cease to exist."

"No!" Valyya cried as he tried desperately to free Ruby.

Ruby was now almost completely submerged within the lens only her face and a small portion of her chest remained outside of it.

"Please Ruby, you have to wake up!" Valyya pleaded.

Toothless looked down at Hiccup. "Hiccup we're going to lose her if we don't hurry!"

"That isn't going to happen," said Hiccup strongly. "There's no way I'm going to let you just disappear! You have to hang in there Ruby!"

At this point Snotlout had regained consciousness and was tending to Gustav.

"You all right?" he asked.

"Sigrid's gone," said Gustav with tears in his eyes.

"Yeah, she is," Snotlout nodded. "Just let it go, we've got more important things to worry about right now."

"Yeah, you're right," Gustav agreed.

"Can you hear me?" Valyya cried looking at Ruby desperately.

"I know that their cutting the chains, but it doesn't seem to be doing anything to help her," Toothless noted.

"We're not gonna make it in time," said Gustav.

"We've got a defeat that final member," said Snotlout.

The two of them then turned to face Brain.

"All right, we'll help you taken down, Hiccup."

"Yeah!"

"No," said Hiccup. "The two of you out of magic power, I'm the only one who is still strong enough to take him down."

"You sure?" Gustav asked.

"Positive," said Hiccup firmly.

Brief second later, he charged at Brain with his fist ablaze.

* * *

Meanwhile Cobra was lying down in a crater he had created on his way down. The only thing he could do now was look up at the Infinity Ship.

"Damn you, Freyja," Cobra cursed. "You should have just killed me when you had the chance." He then heard something approaching him. "Someone is coming. Who's there? Reveal yourself?"

He turned his head and then saw Brila looking down at him.

* * *

Meanwhile Brain extended his hand to counter Hiccup's breath attack.

"I'm not scared of your flames," said Brain and uses magic in order to curve his breath attack around him. "Attack all you want, but they'll never burn me. Eventually, you'll run out of magic power."

He then inserted his own magic into the flames and have them attack Hiccup constantly. However, Hiccup maintained his ground and continue to look at Brain with defiance.

"Yeah, that's what you think," said Hiccup as he landed on the ground. "If you're not afraid of me then how can you keep avoiding my attacks? You're nothing more than a coward."

"And now all you can do is hurl insults," Brain spat. "It's quite telling. Obviously I hold all the power here. I have always dreamt of having magic power equal back to my father and after my sacrifice, I finally do."

"What kind of sacrifice?" Hiccup asked.

Brain ignored his question. "Now you will become a traveller of the void, Night Fury." He held his arms out and they began to glow with a dark green glow. " _Genesis Zero!_ "

Hiccup's eyes widened, because he recognised the spell. It was the same spell that Master Zero used on him and it almost destroyed him. Hiccup very much doubt that he will be able to escape at this time, because last time he was using the _Dragon Force_.

His hands came together and darkness began to seep out of the spell as shadows began to surround Hiccup.

"Open! Gate of Oppressing Whaling!" Brain yelled as the shadows began to surround Hiccup. "Go for travellers of the void. I want you to consume his soul. His memory. Consume his very existence! Devour him for the sake of your master!"

Hiccup found him unable to escape the shadow of grip and everyone could only watch as he was rolled up it was some sort of vortex.

"Hiccup!" Snotlout and Gustav called.

A few seconds later, Hiccup was gone and the vortex not stored in slowly began to vanish.

"That should be the last of you," Brain smiled. "You're forever trapped in the darkness much like your friend, who strapped in potential time."

* * *

Ruby felt herself drifting away and could see both Valyya and Toothless hitting against the lens calling her name.

"Ruby," said her father's voice.

She was little girl again at the family mansion and both her father and mother were looking down at her with large smiles.

"What do you think, dear? Do you like her?" her mother smiled.

Ruby was holding out the doll that used to be Sigrid had a large smile on her face. "Oh, yeah. She's the best birthday present ever and she's going to be my new little sister!"

"That's wonderful, take good care of her," her mother smiled.

"I need to think of a nice name for her, like Aurora!" Ruby smiled.

Her mother merely smiled. "Such a pretty name."

Then Sigrid appeared next to her. "Do you remember how much fun we had? The mansion was so big that it felt like a castle to us. You made me so many beautiful outfits out of nothing but paper and flowers, we went everywhere together and wherever we went it was all smiles. But then…"

The scene changed to Ruby crying as she and her father and many of the staff witnessed her mother's pyre.

"My Mum died," Ruby remembered. "Every day I would go to her grave marker and cry. I lashed out at everyone around me, I can't imagine how worried my father must have been."

"I felt so helpless, because all I could do was watch go through it," said Sigrid as a witness Ruby's younger self crying at her mother's grave marker. "I wish I had been able to help you somehow."

"Every time I looked at you reminded me of my Mum and how much I missed her."

Sigrid nodded. "I know. I assumed that was why you stopped talking to me."

"Sorry," said Ruby apologetically as they witnessed Ruby's doll just sitting on a chair as it rained. "Time past until I eventually forgot all about you. For years and years, you sat patiently waiting for the day I would come back to you again."

Ruby's father eventually took the dog back to the attic and placed on it on a crate next to the ruined portrait of his family. He then placed a sheet over the portrait and then looked at the doll apologetically.

"I'm sorry, she hasn't necessarily abandoned you," he said. "It's just that this sorrow of losing her mother has overwhelmed her. She so distracted that she's lost sight on what was once important to her. I wish… There was something I could do to ease her heartache. Someday, when she's grown up, and she's gotten over her mother's death, it is my hope that you will get the chance to be her little sister again."

Ruby just stood there watching as tears rushed into her eyes.

"For years I waited patiently hoping that you would come back," said Sigrid. "Over time the once lively mansion grew quiet. Eventually, it was deserted and when someone finally came looking for me it wasn't my big sister."

Ruby then watched as Brain entered the attic and looked down at the doll.

A few seconds later, the scene changed and Sigrid, as Imitatia exited the mansion.

"I was so thankful that I was given life as Imitatia that I did exactly as I was told." Imitatia then transformed into Sigird. "I took the name Sigrid Lobster and set out to obtain the Infinity Clock."

The scene changed once again and now Sigrid was working alongside Ruby's father.

Ruby looked at her. "So when you told me that you helped my father with his work…"

"That was the absolute truth," Sigrid nodded. "It broke my heart to use him, but it had to be done. I wanted the good old days back. Ruby, all I wanted… was to be your sister again. I knew you and your father had your ups and downs over the years, but that's normal. It's all part of being a family, no matter what happens the bond you share will bring you together."

The scene changed and Ruby saw Sigrid looking over her father, who appeared to be sick in bed. It only took a few seconds to realise that her father was now on his deathbed.

"I haven't heard from her, but I know Ruby is still alive out there," he said weakly. "Will you go find her and give her the clock hand? Please, Sigrid."

"Of course I will," she nodded.

"You know I'm always amazed by the power of magic. This time I'm sure of it you will be her little sister once again," he said with a sly smile.

Sigird eyes widened and then saw that Magnus Heartfull had uttered his last breath. She then immediately broke into tears and buried her head into his bed sheet.

Ruby too was crying knowing that she never got the chance to say goodbye to her father or even apologise to him for all the things she had said about him. She also felt miserable for the way she treated Sigrid and for abandoning her all those years ago.

"I'm so sorry, Sigrid," she cried. "It must have been hard for you."

"Please stop crying, Big Sister," said Sigrid's voice. "It's okay, you're that by so many people. Listen closely and you will hear them calling out to you."

Ruby stopped crying and began to listen. "I do, I can hear everyone and I can see them," she gasped. "My friends."

"Hang in there, Ruby!" Astrid's voice yelled.

"We're too slow. Hurry we've got to run faster!" Merrill's voice cried.

"Okay, onto the next one," said Stormfly's voice.

"Have we beaten them yet?" Ragnar's voice asked.

"Speedfist, how's Hiccup's team?" Stormfly asked.

"Oh, crap," said Speedfist using his telepathy. "I don't know what happened, but I lost my telepathic link with him."

"Hiccup's in serious trouble," said Gustav.

"He just vanished into thin air!" Snotlout yelled.

"What happened?" said Astrid with a bit of panic in her voice.

"He's been consumed by darkness," Toothless cried.

Hiccup found himself complete emptiness unable to move. "Please, just wait a little longer, Ruby," Hiccup pleaded. "I'm coming to save you."

"Hiccup," Ruby breathed. She then saw both Valyya and Toothless slamming their fists against the lens that was containing her. "The longer I am here the more I lose sight of who I am. I can't, I've got to do something!"

Brain watch as the vortex began to close. "No matter how much you struggle you will never escape the darkness," he smirked. "Your time is up goodbye great Dragon Viking."

In the void, Hiccup was trying desperately to escape it like he did before.

"No," he said mustering all his strength as flames surrounded him. "I'm not done yet! You have cause pain and suffering not only to Ruby and Sigrid, but everyone around you! There's no way you're going to get away with that!"

Ruby could hear Hiccup's voice and then gave her all the strength she needed.

"I can't keep crying forever," she said. "Now apologise to Sigird and bring Hiccup back!"

Then suddenly there was a bright glow emanating from the lens and everyone heard Ruby's voice as the entire ship lit up.

"What's happening now?" Valyya asked blinded by the light from the lens.

"It's so bright," said Toothless looking away from it.

"Did you hear that?" Gustav asked.

Snotlout nodded. "Yeah, it sounded like Ruby."

Brain then found himself in the same time he was seven years ago he began to shake constantly.

"What happened to me?" he said in fear.

He then looked around and realise when he was, he was in the _Tower of Valhalla_ back when he was a slave there. Then in a split second he reverted back to a child wearing rags and fear began to consume him.

"The _Tower of Valhalla_ ," he gasped. "No, this is it, this is the _Real Nightmare_. How did this happen? It must have been the girl, my seal is all that's left. It's not strong enough to hold her back. I'm such a fool."

Then suddenly just as the vortex began to close cracks began to form in the air. Then suddenly there was a huge burst of flames erupting and Hiccup emerged with his strength re-energised.

"I heard you Ruby!" he yelled at the top of his voice and slammed a devastating punch into Brain.

"How did he come back?" Valyya asked.

"Ruby did it, she used the Infinity Clock to cast the _Real Nightmare Spell_ on that creep," Toothless explained.

Brain looked up and saw Hiccup standing in front of him emanating the new found power within him.

"So you made a sacrifice? Give me a break," said Hiccup as flames covered his fist.

"As they say magic comes from the heart and the greater the feeling you are willing to abandon the greater the power you gain," said Brain with dark magic covering his fist.

The two of them and began trading fists with one another and were battling ferociously.

"When you care for someone your deepest wishes to see them again," said Brain as they continue to fight. "There's nothing more excruciating than knowing that you'll never had the chance, because of your own actions."

Hiccup then unleashed his breath attack, but Brain used the _Reflector Magic_ to have the attack curve around him.

"Whatever you say," said Hiccup. "So tell me, what did you sacrifice again the power you have now?"

"My future," said Brain as a dark aura covered him. "At least one that in which I'll never see my father again."

"So he took a possibility and then made it into an impossibility in order to gain power?" Valyya frowned. "My head hurts."

"A backward view using forwardthinking," said Toothless looking equally confused. "Have to say that's pretty impressive."

"I'm still surprised that you never attempted to free Master Zero," said Hiccup.

"You're the reason my father and I were torn apart all those years ago!" Brain snapped.

"Your father was a madman that try to use Nirvana to cause anarchy," Hiccup reminded. "He left me no choice, but to take him down and if you don't change your ways are we doing the same to you! So don't you dare like the innocent victim! Personally giving up something already hasn't happened yet isn't a big deal!"

Then the two of them clashed with one another sending a powerful shockwave across the room.

* * *

Meanwhile Speedfist, Merrill and Stormfly were rushing over to Hiccup in order to assist.

"Speedfist!" Fishlegs' voice yelled.

"What's up?" Speedfist asked.

"I've got news. We've been doublechecking our notes and well…"

"Now listen carefully, because we've discovered something very important that you and the other should know," said Bjorn.

Speedfist then came to a sudden stop when they finished explaining what they had discovered. "Say what?" he stared. "Run that by me again."

* * *

Meanwhile Hiccup and Brain were still tried overpower the other and then suddenly Brain saw his arm cracking.

"Impossible," he said openmouthed as he felt his power waning and Hiccup's power increasing. "How am I being overpowered?"

"I know what it's like missing someone you love so I can definitely sympathise with you," said Hiccup. "But you're wrong… the whole thing about having to abandon your feelings to gain power is a huge crutch, because you only gain by keeping close to your heart!"

"Liar! That can't be true," said Brain as the rest of his arm began to crack and reach to his face. "I was taught that only sacrifice is the only way!"

"I'm afraid not!" Hiccup yelled finally overpowering Brain.

Brain quickly grabbed him and tossed him aside before he could land a single punch on him, but darkness began to ease out of the cracks forming around him.

Hiccup got to his feet and looked at him. "You don't know what to think anymore do you? You been twisting everything around so much of your perception is all over the place. If you keep it up…" He then kneed him in the face. "You can't be true to your past!" He then spun punched him hard in the face. "Much less your future! You can't even be true to your own heart!"

He then dealt a powerful spinning kick with his prosthetic and sent him flying across the wall.

"Are you implying that I'm not being true to my… father!" Brain yelled shaking like mad.

"I open up to my Dad, Ruby opened up to hers and Sigrid opened up to her," said Hiccup strongly. "Don't punish because you got it wrong! For someone so smart you have a lot to learn!" He then ran towards Brain. "Feelings are one thing you obviously don't know anything about!"

He then slammed a powerful punch right into Brain's face. It was so powerful that it was slammed hard into the wall and was knocked unconscious and everyone began to cheer.

"Father," Brain breathed before the stone wall gave way and he fell down into the bowels of the ship.

"We beat the last of the six demons!" Gustav cheered.

"How's Ruby?" Snotlout asked looking up at Toothless and Valyya.

Toothless and Valyya just stood there staring, because Ruby was completely absorbed into the Infinity Clock now.

"Oh, no," Valyya cried.

"We're too late. What do we do now?" said Toothless looking at the empty lens. "Ruby has completely disappeared."

"How did that happen?" Hiccup stared with his eyes widened. "We got rid of all six of the seals where did she go?"

"Huh? What are they talking about? I don't go anywhere I'm right here," said Ruby's voice. She then noticed that something was wrong. "Wait a sec, don't tell me I'm… you've gotta be kidding me!"

"What was that?" Snotlout frowned.

"It will be here somewhere?" Gustav asked in confusion looking around

Hiccup sniffed the air. "That's weird, I can smell her all around us."

* * *

Outside everyone stopped destroying the chains and looked up towards the ship.

"Whoa, that wasn't telepathy," said Ragnar.

"We can't give up hope, not yet," said Astrid.

Inside the ship's engine, Speedfist, Merrill and Stormfly knew exactly what happened to Ruby.

"Oh no," said Merrill cupping her hands. "We're too late."

"Yes, it appears she has merged with the Infinity Ship," Stormfly nodded.

* * *

They quickly inform every one of the situation.

"Hang on, you're saying that Ruby is now one with the ship," said Toothless looking around.

"So in a way this is her body now," said Hiccup.

"No! I can't believe this is happening to me!" Ruby cried.

"Don't worry, we'll think of something," Toothless assured.

"It's going to be okay," said Speedfist using his telepathy. "Unfortunately, you sped up the merging process when you use the _Real Nightmare Spell_ to save Hiccup."

"Great, so it's my fault," Hiccup moaned.

"Look, I'm just glad I finally got through to you. Listen up everyone, I've got some news from the team back at the Guildhall. Bjorn and the others have figured out a way for us to save Ruby."

"Who is Bjorn?" Hiccup frowned.

"He's that archaeologist we met on the boat," Toothless explained.

Bjorn and the others were looking through the books as began to explain the situation to them.

"If the seals aren't removed from the Infinity Clock before the merging process is complete, the person who's been much can only free debate focused their mind in order to control the _Real Nightmare Spell_ ," Bjorn explained.

"According to what it says here the clock is remaining in this world, because of the magic power it's absorbing from the _Celestial Vikings_ who are serving as Body-Links," said Fishlegs.

"They're stuck in chrysalis form so we need to lift the curse that's been placed on them," Speedfist explained. "Luckily it should be pretty simple."

"Ruby's got an alternate perception of time to 100 years in the future," Valyya said realisation.

"Yep, you've got it," said Speedfist. "If she does that then the clock will break apart and all the pieces will scatter themselves."

"Are you sure?" Merrill asked.

"Wait, but what about Ruby?" Ragnar asked.

"How is this going to affect her?" Astrid asked.

"I wish I could tell you," said Bjorn. "All we can tell you is that this will undo the merging."

"Yeah, but it can also send her flying along with the clock pieces," Hiccup pointed out.

"What do we do?" Gustav asked.

"Surely there must be a better way?" Hiccup asked.

"I'll give it a shot," said Ruby. "The other _Celestial Vikings_ need me, if I don't pull it off they'll sleep a hundred years. So what if I get sent flying off somewhere, I think that it's worth the risk. I'm not scared because I'm a _Dragon Tail_ Viking, Magnus and Crystal Heartfull's daughter, Ruby's Sigrid's big sister! I can do this!"

Suddenly the entire ship began to glow and Ruby unleashed her powers upon it. Ruby was in fact in some kind of emptiness and lights began to flicker around like shooting stars as he unleashed her power.

' _I believe in you, Ruby_ ,' said Sigrid's voice.

"This is task," said Ruby as he turned to Sigrid, who was standing next to her.

"Don't be afraid, I'll stay right by your side," Sigrid promised.

"Thank you."

Then the Infinity Ship disappeared and a shower of lights began to rain down upon the continent and turned back into the calm night sky.

* * *

Meanwhile Brila was with Cobra as the lights flickered over their heads. She was resting his head on her lap.

"You been badly injured," Brila noted. "Is there anything I can do to help you?"

"You can get your dirty hands off me," said Cobra bitterly.

"So the person calling out to me was that you?" Brila asked hopefully.

Cobra looked up. "I can hear it," he gasped. He then immediately realised who she truly was. He quickly got up and placed her down on the ground. "It's you."

Brila then placed a hand on his cheek and looked into his eye. "Tell me, what happened to your eye?"

"I sacrificed it to gain power," he said. He then removed himself from her and sat back down. "It's no big deal. All I needed my hearing anyway."

"What's your name?" Brila asked.

Cobra looked at her. "It's Cydor," he said.

"Hello, Cydor."

Cobra then looked up as he heard something and then suddenly appearing above the crater were Alistair and Alron.

"You're Cobra of the _Neo-Oración Seis_?" said Alistair.

"The others are already in our custody," said Alron. "We ask that you surrender peacefully."

"And what if I don't?" Cobra asked.

Brila immediately looked at them with a pleading look. "No wait! He's not a bad guy!" she cried. "He's not!"

Suddenly poison began to exit from hand and began to melt away the rock they were pressed against.

Both Alistair and Alron stared at her.

"What the?" Alron stared.

"Are you resisting arrest?" Alistair asked. Cobra could hear the thoughts in their heads almost immediately. ' _That's odd, the girl doesn't appear to be a Viking_.'

' _If she is an accomplice to the Neo-Oración Seis we're going to have to take in_ ,' said Alron.

Cobra couldn't allow her to be imprisoned, not again. "Relax, I'm coming," he said getting to his feet. He didn't even look at Brila. "Get out of here."

"What?" Brila stared. She then gave him a pleading look as he walked away. "Cydor, wait you never answered! Are you the one calling out to me?" Cobra then came to a sudden stop. "Were you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," he lied before he made his way to Alistair and Alron.

Brila however could tell that he had lied and that he was giving himself up to protect her.

"What about the girl?" Alistair asked.

"Is she an accomplice of yours?" Alron asked.

"Nope, I don't know," he lied. "Apparently she's been wondering looking for an old friend of hers."

"Very well then let's go," said Alistair.

Alron looked at him curiously. "You're giving up a lot easier than I thought you would," he noted.

"Yeah, well, change of heart," he said truthfully. He then looked back at Brila. "I envy that girl, knowing that you have a friend it must be a comforting thing. Maybe I'll find someone someday."

Brila then watched as Alistair and Alron took Cobra away. She knew that it had been his voice calling out to her. She can help but wonder if he could hear her too.

Cobra just merely smiled as he walked away, because he finally got to hear the sound of her voice.

* * *

Meanwhile the fossilised Celestial Vikings were just laying down on a crypt, but suddenly the golden skin surrounding and began to fade away and they returned to normal.

* * *

Hiccup had fallen unconscious due to his large battle with Brain and when he woke up he found himself staring at Olatrand.

"I'm glad you're okay," he said.

Hiccup then noticed that they were riding on Kanaloa skidding down a mountain. With them were Astrid, Ragnar, Snotlout, Toothless and Valyya.

"Wait, are we… riding on Kanaloa?" he stared.

"There's no need to panic," Olatrand assured. "Kanaloa and I are now bound by the parfum of eternal friendship."

"I'm really out of the loop," Hiccup sighed.

Toothless looked at Hiccup. "Hey, Hiccup. Listen…"

Hiccup then realise they were one member short. "Where's Ruby? We've got to get out there and find her."

"Were already working on it," said Astrid placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah, Speedfist's team is looking for her," said Ragnar.

Hiccup then sniffed the air. "Guys, I've picked up her scent. Olatrand, we need to head that way," he pointed.

"Very well then. If you would, Kanaloa," said Olatrand.

Kanaloa then jumped into the air and then landed on the ground after jumping several miles. Hiccup then jumped off Kanaloa and began chasing a shooting star that turned out to be Ruby. He kept on running as fast as he could stumbled a few times, but always got back onto his feet.

He continued to chase after Ruby as quickly as he could and then jumped into the air. He then managed to grab and then landed back onto the ground on both feet. He then carried her back to the others who were extremely happy that we have returned to them.

* * *

 _'By the time I came to, both the Infinity Clock and Ship and the_ Neo-Oración Seis _were long gone. And so, the journey that began at the hand of a clock in all the confusion and chaos caused by_ Key of the Starry Heavens _finally came to an end_.

' _I'm not sure why, but ever since I've been back to my apartment, it's felt kind of cold and empty to me. But even so I never feel lonely. Don't worry about me, I'm going to be okay. Oh, and one more thing, Mum, Dad, thank you for giving me such a great little sister._ '

Ruby finished writing in her journal and looked down at the novelty she had wrote called "Seeking of the Clock" and then she turned to Sigrid's doll who now sat on her desk.


	26. Sabertooth

Sitting down in ancient elven ruins were to elves.

One of them was male with blonde hair, dark blue eyes and had a scar running down the right side of his face. He wore a blue vest with golden outer edges and inner edges covered by a prominent trimming of grey fur that revealed his muscular upper chest. His arms are covered by dark blue gloves reaching up to his mid-bicep, with their upper edges being adorned by light grey bands. He was also wearing loose, cream-colored pants, with the sword strapped to his belt, and was held tough leather boots.

The other one was female with black hair, and deep brown eyes and large heavy bangs over her right eye. She wore a long black cape around his shoulders and the needed was a black long-sleeved T-shirt. She also wore a pair of combat trousers with leg guards attached to them. She also sported a pair of combat boots.

"Sounds like they're finally back," said the male elf in an almost excited voice.

"Who's they?" asked the female elf a bored voice.

"The _Dragon Tail_ members who went missing on Cove Island seven years ago."

"I couldn't care less," she said dismissively.

"Don't try and play it cool with me, you used to look up to Eret like crazy," he said with a large smile.

"You're right, I used to," she admitted.

* * *

Meanwhile at the Grand Temple, the archon was looking down upon everyone who had shown up for the _Founding Festival_.

"May our recent transgressions be forgiven," he said. "We the humble followers of the _Temple of Thor_ by repent for every sin we have committed and now to cleanse us of our sins we set for on a new path of righteousness."

A man with the pilgrims were also Gobber and Spitelout, who wasn't too pleased being there.

"Somebody shoot me," Spitelout grumbled.

"Just hang in there," Gobber chuckled slightly. "It would have been an insult if we did not accept the invitation from the Archon himself."

"He invited the whole Guild," said Spitelout bitterly. "Where's everybody else?"

"Let them rest and leave a formal stuff to us old-timers," said Gobber.

* * *

At the Guildhall, _Dragon Tail_ had invited the _Legion Platoon_ to join them for celebration drink. However, the _Legion Platoon_ is still felt guilty for all the trouble he had caused them and were on their knees.

"As head of the _Legion Platoon_ I offer my dearest and sincerest apologies to the members of _Dragon Tail_ ," said Byro.

"There's no room for remorse just progress," said Stoick. "Let's move beyond this crisis. We may have fought before, but that doesn't mean we have to be enemies now. What you say that we start a new?"

Byro looked at him humbly. "You are as gracious as you are wise," he said.

The two of them then shook hands.

"Now with that settled it's time to celebrate!" Stoick roared.

Everyone then cheered at the top of their voices.

* * *

With the debacle of the Infinity Clock coming to an end and with the fugitive members of the _Neo-Oración Seis_ now back into their proper cells things started returned back to normal. Sadly, returning to normal did not do much good for the reputation of _Dragon Tail_.

Two girls walking down the street in the city of Berk and they were clearly those types of girls that prefer to hang with the popular crowd.

"So, like, all that crazy clock voodoo was down to that super weak Guild from here in Berk."

"For real, like who gave them the right to be so annoying."

"You know I can't even remember the name of their weak little Guild."

"Their _Dragon Tail_ and there like so yesterday's news."

* * *

Meanwhile at the Viking Council headquarters Alistair had just been briefed upon the _Celestial Vikings_ that had once been Wilhelm's disciples.

"Understood, carry on," he nodded at the communication lacrima. He then turned to Alron, who was reading a report and had cleaned himself up and was now wearing the Honour Guard armour. "I've got news on Wilhelm's Vikings. Apparently they have been freed from the century long slumber sleeping curse. However, they seem to have lost all of their magic power. There no longer _Celestial Vikings_ it's just what happened to Meloval."

Alron however was more interested in the report he was reading. "Hey, uh, this report you gave me."

Alistair merely smiled. "I knew it would pique your interest. They've returned alive and well as if nothing happened. They even have the same clothes on. Well, as you can imagine the chairman wasn't too happy about it."

Alron looked at him. "You knew? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I could have, but why spoil the chance to see the look on your face."

"That so," said Alron shaking his head. "I see."

He then found the report back in with the others and smiled. He was extremely grateful to hear that Merrill was alive and well.

* * *

Meanwhile at the _Dragon Tail_ Guild, the celebrations were reaching their peak. Snotlout and the twins had challenged Daan to eating competition.

"Prepare to be beaten, man," said Snotlout.

"No I'm gonna win this thing," said Tuffnut.

"No I am," said Ruffnut.

"Sorry, but the winner is going to be me," said Daan.

"Oh my," said Ruby as she, Merrill and Stormfly watched.

"Looks like things are back to normal," said Merrill.

"That Infinity Clock magic almost feels like a distant memory to me now," said Stormfly.

Daan then pulled a fast one on Snotlout and the twins by tapping their food with his staff increasing its size tenfold.

"Good luck catching up with me now," Daan laughed.

"I would hate to be Spitlout right now," said Speedfist. "I bet here and Gobber are bored out of their minds."

"Well, Spitelout always wanted more responsibility," Wartihog smirked.

"Hey, the ceremony their supposed to be attending happens to be a big deal, right?" said Ragnar. "If that's the case why are the _Legion Platoon_ here with us?"

"Between you and me I always get bored of those stupid ceremonies," said Ryker as he approached him.

"So much the fabled doctrine of the _Temple of Thor_ ," Heather laughed.

* * *

Meanwhile outside, Valyya wanted a private talk with Skullcrusher.

"Is there something wrong, Valyya?" Skullcrusher asked. "You've been very quiet."

"Well, it's just…" she said wiggling her fingers awkwardly. "I said some pretty horrible things to you and I regret every one. Like I said that I hate cats, I don't."

"It's fine," Skullcrusher assured. "You don't need to apologise I'm just glad that I got to see you again, even if you're not the same Valyya. It's all water under the bridge."

"I appreciate you saying that," she smiled.

"So how long before all of you go back to the _Temple of Thor_?" Skullcrusher asked.

"I hate to tell you this…"

Before she could finish her sentence Windshear appeared and approached Skullcrusher.

"Ah-ha, there you are," she said she then transformed into her battle form. "I was promised a rematch, I believe your exact words were anytime anywhere."

"Very well, then," said Skullcrusher entering into his battle form. "Ready?"

"You're gonna fight right here? Now?" Valyya stared at them.

* * *

Hiccup and Astrid were standing with each other they watched the celebration taking hold.

"It's nice to have things back to normal," said Hiccup placing an arm around her waist.

"It certainly is," said Astrid leaning her head against his shoulder. "At least everyone is enjoying themselves."

"That's not strictly true," said Valka from behind them.

"Indeed, those two have been sitting there for quite some time," Stoick pointed.

They turned and saw that both Gildarts and Byro were just sitting there with a tankard of mead in Gildarts hand a cup on wine in Byro's.

Fishlegs looked at Bucket and Mulch. "Where's your drinks? Don't you want to celebrate?" he asked.

"We would like nothing more," said Mulch.

"Except those two scare me," said Bucket cowering behind Mulch.

"I've got ya covered," said Agatha carrying a huge barrel of mead. "No booze goes wasted while I'm around."

Ruby was busy shaking hands with the archaeologists and then noticed that Viggo had left the Guildhall. Viggo made his way towards the hillside and looked down at the city.

* * *

Skullcrusher and Windshear was still sparring with one another relentlessly. Skullcrusher blocked her kick and then swung a powerful punch towards her and she retaliated with another kick. Skullcrusher then tossed into some barrels and they kept on fighting and smiling at the same time while Valyya watched.

"How crazy," she blinked. "They're going at each other full force yet there smiling.

* * *

In the Guildhall, Gildarts looked at Byro.

"That fight was something else and I'm still feeling it," he said.

"To think someone like you exists," Byro sighed placing his cup down. "The world is full of more surprises than I thought."

"The fight's organic, you can't predict it," said Gildarts. "Strength in training are just part of it. All it would have taken is just one wrong move at the wrong time and I would have been the one eating the floor."

"You certainly have broad outlook."

"I just live life by a different set of rules."

Fishlegs leaned over to Agatha.

"What you think they're talking about?" he whispered.

"Do I look like I can?" Agatha asked. "Probably dirty old man talk."

Daan meanwhile was looking for Ruby, who had promptly vanished from the Guildhall.

"So, where did my little gem run-off too?" Daan asked looking around.

"I thought Valkyrie was your main squeeze these days?" said Ragnar with a raised eyebrow.

"Life is too short to be tied down by one person, you've got to have some variety in love," Daan shrugged.

Ragnar rolled his eyes. "Hey, sure."

"Then how is it true love?" Heather asked disapprovingly. She then noticed that Daan was slowly making his way towards her. "And before you come anywhere near me be warned that I'll hit you with the very force of the ocean."

Daan gulped and backed away. "Understood." He then quickly went up Astrid. "The moment our eyes met I knew it was destiny. Now then how about we ditch the armour and go…"

Astrid immediately twisted his arm. "First of I'm already in a relationship and second you should try searching for our instead of a girl."

She then summoned her hammer and then slammed it on top of him and then walked off towards Hiccup.

"I prefer man that respect the girl's personal space," she said leaning on Hiccup's shoulder.

"What's the point of being a member of the being a renowned warrior all the good-looking girls have been taken," Daan groaned.

"Perhaps you should rethink your approach," Toothless advised.

"It would seem as if that weapon was away evil and men that gets to hands," Stormfly noted.

* * *

Meanwhile Ruby have found Viggo at the hillside and approached him.

"You know it's more fun inside and out here," she said.

"I'm not really a party animal like my brother," said Viggo. He then looked at her curiously. "Besides, I'm actually quite surprised that after everything I did that you could be so friendly to me."

"We were all fighting for what we believed in. Besides, you will be manipulated like the rest of us, right," said Ruby. "It was out of your control so don't beat yourself up."

Viggo nodded and placed his hands behind his back. "I hate it when I'm not in control. Before me and my brother were taken in by the _Temple of Thor_ a day didn't go by when we were tricked or abused by the people around us."

He then raised his ring. "Naturally that changed when I had power and I was immensely grateful for what the _Temple of Thor_ had done to both me and my brother that I was willing to do anything for them. At last it was my turn to control people and as soon as I did I felt as if I was getting back at the ones that used both me and my brother, but it turns out that I was being used all over again and not just me, but the people I thought as friends and family, even you. You were tricked by Sigird, who was also being used."

* * *

Skullcrusher and Windshear were still sparring, but it was Skullcrusher who have the upper hand.

"You've improved a great deal, Windshear," Skullcrusher acknowledged. "It's because you rid yourself of doubt."

"And yet I'm still no match for you, am I?" Windshear smiled. "I had hoped to defeat you for one final time, but that won't happen."

"'Final?'" Skullcrusher frowned. He then turned to Valyya remembered that she tried to say something earlier.

* * *

In the Guildhall, Byro held out the Archon's seal to Gildarts.

"What have you got there?" Gildarts asked.

"Something that is far more too heavy for someone like me to carry," said Byro. "However…"

* * *

Before they left for the _Dragon Tail_ , the Archon wanted to speak to them one last time. The entire _Legion Platoon_ was there kneeling before the Archon and even Grat was there with them.

"My mind is made up," he said. "The gold seal will pass to you Byro."

"Your Eminence, I am not worthy," said Byro humbly.

"Take it my friend. Although I would be manipulated it was my own weakness of heart that allowed such a calamity to befall the _Temple of Thor_. I'm afraid that your next mission will be a long and perilous one. So please make use of the seal on your journey, let it bring light to your hearts where only darkness can be found."

"You are far too kind your grace," said Byro respectfully.

"What of me your Eminence?" Grat asked.

"Ultimately it was our fault that you were placed in the forbidden cell," said the Archon regretfully. "But now that you are free I ask for your help. As you know many of our local temples lie in ruin. Would you be willing to use your great powers to rebuild them?"

"It would be my honour," said Grat.

"Before you go," said the Archon looking back at the _Legion Platoon_. "There's something I've been meaning to ask you…"

* * *

Back in the present, Ruby was still standing with Viggo on the hillside and noticed that something was troubling him.

"Something wrong?" she asked.

"I've been wanting to speak with you privately," he said still looking down at the city. "You remember how Vex sent those puppets all over creation. Well I've done some digging and I found something…" He then turned towards her. "I've got information on the real Sigrid Lobster. From what I can gather Vex kept her close, because he was hoping to get his hands on her family fortune. Oh, and those documents that said the Lobsters were distant relatives to the Heartfulls…"

"They were fakes, right?" Ruby finished. "It's all right I can take it."

"I wish I had better news," said Viggo honestly.

"Thank you regardless," said Ruby. "I she had a feeling that was the case and now I know for certain. I can put it behind me."

"Really?" said Viggo slightly surprised.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," she assured him. "Sure I feel a little sad, but I still have all my friends."

Viggo nodded. "I guess that is true."

"Now how about we get back to the others," said Ruby.

"I think I would like that," he smiled.

* * *

Later that evening the _Legion Platoon_ were about to head off to the next mission.

"The true purpose of our visit is not a happy one," said Byro looking at the entire _Dragon Tail_ Guild.

Stoick nodded. "Yes, I figured as much. This will be the last we'll be seeing of you?"

Hiccup looked at them. "You came to say goodbye?"

"Yes, I'm afraid that is the case," said Byro regretfully. "Our duty calls us elsewhere. We've been charged to locate the Infinity Clock pieces. Once we return them they will be sealed away and hidden away for eternity. Unfortunately, it will take some time the clock pieces to regain any measure of real magic power. So it will be impossible to detect them magically. The truth is we would likely spending the rest of our lives completing this task. Farewell, my friends—"

"I'm just gonna stop you right there," said Ragnar.

"There's no need for long goodbye, because we might end up seeing each other again," said Hiccup.

"The future is never certain and impossible to predict," Astrid agreed.

Ruby looked at Valyya. "Valyya, thank you again for all of your help."

"It was my pleasure," Valyya smiled. "Take care of yourselves and hopefully we'll see you soon."

"I enjoy the next time that we see each other," said Viggo.

Skullcrusher and Windshear tapped paws with one another.

"My calculation say that I will win next time," said Windshear.

"Challenge me any time, Windshear," Skullcrusher nodded. "And good luck."

"Maybe next time you and me can fight," said Toothless.

"Will certainly be an interesting match," Cloudjumper agreed.

"Or maybe we can just act as friends," Stormfly sighed.

"If you're lucky we'll run into each other," said Ragnar. "Let us know we can help you out somehow."

"And maybe you can focus on the mission said of women, Daan," Heather advised.

"If we need we know who to call," Ryker nodded.

"I'll try and remember that, Heather," said Daan.

Hiccup then looked at Byro. "Byro, just remember to enjoy life. This mission of yours is a big one, but you need to spend time to enjoy yourself."

"I'll be sure to remember that," Byro nodded. He then looked at Stoick. "Your son certainly has a fiery spirit inside of him. I'm sure he'll make a fine Guild Master someday."

"He is still pretty hardheaded," said Stoick folding his arms.

"Look who's talking," said Hiccup looking back at him.

Everyone laughed.

With that then you friends set out on their journey with laughter and friendship in their hearts. Ruby was extremely confident that they would see them again very soon.

* * *

Meanwhile at the Viking Council headquarters both Alistair and Alron went to meet Palan.

"Welcome back Master Palan," said Alron.

"It really should be me saying that, Alron," said Palan with a small smile on his face. "I'm grateful that Alistair was able to bring you back to the Honour Guard."

"It took some convincing, sir," said Alistair.

"How was the council meeting, sir? Didn't go well?" Alron asked.

Palan nodded.

"Has a decision been reached in regards to the Inter-Guild Commerce Treaty Revision?" Alistair asked.

"Yes it has," Palan nodded. He then looked at him curiously. "But we all know that isn't the reason you've come here today."

"The chief members of _Dragon Tail_ have returned," said Alistair.

"For political reasons the chairman seems intent on blaming the Infinity Clock and _Neo-Oración Seis_ incidents on their return," said Palan looking quite cross. "It's as if we're treating the _Temple of Thor_ as the victims rather than an involved party."

Both Alistair and Alron had disapproving faces.

"Oh well, at least both matters had finally been resolved" Palan sighed. "The magic world is free to be unbound by worries as before. Still I can't shake the feeling this is an omen for something far worse." He then turned and looked out of the window with a grim look on his face. "It's been seven years since Acnologia and Drago were last seen on Cove Island."

"I apologise, sir," said Alistair apologetically. "The lack of progress falls on my shoulders."

"Perhaps we should bolster the Observation Unit," Palan suggested. "These past seven years have been far too quiet. We've managed to keep tabs on _Sabretooth's_ rise in power, but _Helheim_ and the remains of _Grimoire Heart_ have remained silent and there has been no news of Drago or Acnologia.

"We know they're out there and there's nothing we can do than sit here. I don't care for waiting around helplessly, it's unnerving. Like being trapped in a world of perpetual darkness, but the sun may be in her eyes. I wonder will usher in a new dawn for the magic world."

"You think it's, _Dragon Tail_ that they'll save us," said Alron curiously.

" _Dragon Tail's_ first master, Stoick and Hiccup's ancestor, once clashed with Drago during the Dragon Wars. It was a battle unlike any other and there are very few details about it, but what we do know is that Hiccup Haddock the First defeated Drago. However, clearly he was unable to kill him but was able to keep them sedated for 800 years."

"What do you think happened?" Alron asked. The truth was he remembered Drago mentioning a prophecy that seemed to circle around Hiccup.

"I may be old, but it has been a long time since the elves have the immortality. How Hiccup kept his I'll never know, but he created a Viking Guild and placing my hopes on it and his descendants,' said Palan as he walked away.

* * *

Meanwhile Hiccup and the others were finally getting up to speed with the recent events over the past seven years.

"Who's _Sabretooth_?" Hiccup asked.

"They're incredibly strong, like majorly," said Gustav. "They surpassed _Blue Pegasus_ and _Thor's Hammer_ a while back so now that the strongest Viking Guild around."

"I've never heard of them until today," said Ragnar looking at the other members.

"That's because seven years ago nobody had heard of them," said Mulch.

"Then what?" Ragnar frowned. "They just kept growing like crazy all of a sudden?"

"It started once they got a new master after he took over five incredibly strong Vikings joined in that all she wrote," said Wartihog.

"Whoa, five new members made that much of a difference?" Ruby gasped.

"They certainly sound powerful," Hiccup agreed.

"So if that number one Guild in Septem does that mean _Dragon Tail_ is number two?" Merrill asked.

"Are you serious?" Toothless asked.

"Merrill, would you take a look around would you child?" said Stormfly shaking her head.

Merrill looked at her in confusion.

"We're dead last," said Gustav.

"They call as _Whimpey Fail_ ," Mulch groaned.

"I hate that name," Bucket cried.

"Oh, I'm sorry," said Merrill apologetically.

"Well, I used to be the weakest member of _Dragon Tail_ so that I was able to become one of the strongest members here I'm sure we can rise up the ranks," said Hiccup.

"You certainly don't lack confidence," Ragnar noted.

"Hey, I know what it's like being in dead last and I'm sure we all work together we can become number one again," said Hiccup confidently.

"When you say it like that how can we lose," Ragnar smiled.

"I can't wait to show them what we've got," said Merrill.

"Sorry to interrupt, but have you seen Gildarts anywhere?" Agatha asked.

"I thought, you hated having him around," said Ragnar.

"Just because I wouldn't know where he is doesn't mean I care about him," said Agatha strongly.

"Of course not," said Heather sceptically.

Astrid then entered the Guildhall. "Gildarts and Master Stoick just left," she said.

"Hallelujah!" Agatha cheered. "I'm going on a job before he realises I'm gone."

"Gildarts does go overboard with the mushy feelings when it comes to Agatha," said Toothless looking at Stormfly.

"And he's the same when it comes to Stormfly," said Skullcrusher to Cloudjumper.

"Ah, young love," he sighed.

"And yet he is the most powerful Viking we have in our disposal," said Stormfly folding her paws. "What a strange little Guild we are."

* * *

Stoick led Gildarts back were in the forest in a secluded location so they were and overheard.

"Why did you bring me out here, Stoick?" Gildarts asked.

"In order to talk," said Stoick looking at him. "What your impression on Hiccup."

Gildarts was taken aback by this. "He's his father-son, a great leader of men and very stubborn. However, he's got a lot of his mother, her compassion and her spirit for adventure."

"I can't be any more proud of him," said Stoick. "But do you think is ready to take on the responsibilities of Guild Master."

Gildarts looked at him. "You're not saying that your retirement?"

"Perhaps the Guild needs a new face in order to be great again and Hiccup was once at the bottom but now he so very near the top. Perhaps he should lead our guild back to greatness."

"Apart from the fact that he got too much of his mother in him," Gildarts pointed out. "He can't sit still long enough and he's always looking for adventure. Besides, don't you want to leave something great for your son if you do intend to have in takeover, because I know I want the same for my daughter?"

Stoick nodded. "Perhaps now is not the time for him to take up the reins."

"But you already knew this," Gildarts frowned. "So what's the real reason why you brought me here?"

"Just to say goodbye," said Stoick. "You'll be moving off again once you?"

Gildarts sighed. "Yeah, let's say the Hiccup at that thing in common. I'm sorry that I have to leave you with such a mess to sort out."

"We should be able to manage without you," Stoick nodded.

"Then I suggest that you add extra help," Gildarts advised.

"What you mean?" Stoick asked looking at him curiously.

* * *

After the talk Gildarts made his way to the canal and looked down at the flow in water.

"You be leaving soon won't you?" said a voice.

Gildarts turned and smiled as Hiccup approach them. "Yeah, reckon it's time for me to move on."

Hiccup then stood next to him. "So what did my Dad wanted to talk to you about?"

Gildarts smiled. "Sorry, kid, but that's between me and him. However, I can tell you this that he is very proud of you."

Hiccup shrugged. "I know and after what happened with Ruby's father… let's just say that I appreciate him a lot more."

Gildarts looked at him. "I know you and your dad were at odds at each other when you were younger, but he really does love. After all, that's what fathers do."

"You know you're not exactly the best role model?" Hiccup pointed out.

Gildarts laughed. "Good point. I'm sure gonna miss you kid."

"Same here," Hiccup nodded.

Hiccup then watched as Gildarts walked away and wondered what he and his father had been talking about.

* * *

Meanwhile the two elves remained sitting at the ruins talking to one another.

"It sure takes you back, doesn't it? Last time we saw them you came up to about here to Eret." the male elf said using his hand to gesture the height. "Ha, you were a pretty big fan of his back then. I didn't care for him, he was scary."

"Stop bringing up the past, Sting" she said tirelessly. "We chose to follow a different path than them."

Suddenly an archer appeared out of nowhere. "I found you!" he yelled.

They turned and saw the archer charging at them with aiming a white metal arrow at them.

"Take this!" he yelled unleashing the arrow.

However, Sting grabbed the arrow out of thin air and then began to eat it revealing his fangs.

"He's eating it the arrow," he gasped. He then looked at the two of them closely and fire consumed him. "Don't tell me it's him!"

Once Sting finished eating the arrow he then fired a powerful laser from his mouth that struck the side of the archer's head and destroyed the wall behind him. The archer himself was unscathed, but his helmet was now half destroyed and he looked as if he had wet himself.

"Ah, damn it," Sting cursed. "Guess I'm out of practice. His head is still there."

The archer quivered upon resting his eyes upon the two of them. "I knew it, it really is you. The Twin Dragons of the _Sabretooth_ Guild in the flesh! Holy Dragon Sting and Shadow Dragon Rogue! The Dragon Slayer Duo!"

He then ran as quickly as his legs could carry him dropping his bow along the way.

"Hold up," said Sting he then gestured to the fallen bodies of the archer's former comrades. "Are you just in a ditch your pals? That's harsh, man."

"He's part of the Dark Guild what did you expect him to do?" Rogue pointed out.

"Gee, Sting, you don't know when to hold back do you?" said a voice.

"I don't think he knows the meaning of the word," said a second voice.

"Hey it's Hookfang and Skull, I was wondering where you guys went," said Sting looking down.

Soon approaching them were two Exceeds. One had ginger far and wore a blue vest and the other was grey with a black shirt.

"Oh, you know, just doing some recon stuff," said Hookfang as he approached Sting. "We thought we find the enemy before they ambushed us, but it looks like the two of you already have taken care of them, huh. Those guys got what they deserved for messing with awesome Dragon Slayers."

"Just don't let it go to your heads," said Skull folding his paws. "Though I won't argue that you guys are really strong."

"Damn straight," Sting smiled.

He then high-fived Hookfang.

"You're the man to beat," said Hookfang. "The strongest Dragon Slayer of all time. Look out."

Soon they started to walk off.

"Thanks man, I'm starting to feel pretty good," said Sting placing his hands in his pockets. "Bett I could beat Hiccup if I had the chance."

"For sure," Hookfang nodded confidently. "He can hold a candle to ya."

Sting looked at Rogue. "What you say we find out for ourselves? What do you say?"

"I think I'll pass, thanks," said Rogue.

"I agree," said Skull. "There's a lot more things we can do rather than filling our egos."


	27. And So We Aim for the Top

It was a nice peaceful afternoon at the Guildhall and Ruby was cutting Merrill's hair.

"Thanks," Merrill smiled when she was done. "I needed a haircut."

Ruby smiled. "Well I'm glad to help. I don't have the scissor skills as Cancer, but it doesn't take much to make you look super cute."

"Ah, that's sweet of you to say. You made an absolutely perfect afternoon like this even better."

"Yeah, today's pretty darn perfect, isn't it?" Ruby nodded. "So quiet and peaceful."

"We better soak it all in while we can, because peace never lasts long in this field," said Stormfly.

Ruby laughed. "Come on, we're not that bad."

"Hey!" a voice yelled.

"You see," said Stormfly.

"Things are still pretty peaceful around here, Stormfly," Ruby pointed out.

The voice belonged to Ruffnut, who unsurprisingly was having an argument with her brother. For some reason they appear to be arguing over a stuffed yak.

"That's my stuff yak!" Ruffnut yelled.

"No it's mine!" Tuffnut yelled back.

Soon the two of them were pulling at the horns of the stuffed yak trying to pull it towards one another.

"Those guys are so immature," Ruby sighed.

"May don't you catch on quickly," said Stormfly rolling her eyes.

Merrill laughed.

"They arguing again?" Hiccup asked as he approached the girls.

"Yep, and they appear to be arguing over a stuffed yak of all things," said Ruby shaking her head.

"It doesn't that stuff yak belong to both of them?" Toothless asked as he flew down.

"Yeah, their parents gave it to them for their 10th birthday," Ragnar nodded as he joined them.

"And they still argue about it?" Ruby stared.

"We find it best not to point out the obvious to them, because that makes them even more confused," said Hiccup simply.

"And when they are confused they often cause a bit more devastation," Ragnar finished.

"Would you know it's been seven long years and the twins haven't changed one bit," said Wartihog as he and the other showed up.

"That's not really surprised, they've been like that their entire lives," Toothless pointed out.

"Are you trying to say that you've changed?" Hiccup asked folding his arms. "I mean apart from the fact that your seven years older."

"Yeah, I may be old on the outside, but I still feel pretty young on the inside," Wartihog shrugged.

"So what you're trying to tell us is that you're basically an immature old man," Ragnar smirked.

"If you want me to show you my new skills you're on," said Wartihog taking up a fighting stance.

Hiccup took a step forward. "I could do with the exercise."

"Thought you'd never ask."

"Hey, wait, you two are going to fight right now?" Ruby stared.

"Sounds like a plan to me," said Ragnar. "It's perfect weather for little sparring match."

"Couldn't agree with you more," Hiccup nodded.

Soon everyone spread out so to give enough room for both Hiccup and Wartihog.

"Let's rock," said Wartihog.

Hiccup made the first move her blazing fist, but Wartihog dodged it and with his hands in his pockets dealt a powerful kick followed by a powerful blast of sand from his hands. The combo attack pushed Hiccup much to the surprise of everyone.

"What?" Hiccup stared.

"Did you think that we would sit around and do nothing while you guys were gone?" Wartihog asked. "We've all been working on our fighting chops."

"I don't believe it," Merrill stared.

"Hiccup is getting schooled by Wartihog?" Ruby gasped.

"It's not over yet," said Hiccup and then jumped towards him.

Hiccup then swung some fist at Wartihog, who quickly dodged them and then dodged his kicks.

" _Sand Rebellion!_ " Wartihog yelled unleashing a powerful wave of sand that Hiccup.

It was so powerful that Hiccup had disappeared from view. Inside a vortex Hiccup was getting hit left and right.

"I'm not done yet!" Hiccup yelled as he channelled his flames and dispelled the sand.

The sand split in all different directions covering the spectators.

"Do you mind?" Stormfly coughed.

"Take him down Hiccup!" Toothless yelled.

Hiccup then charged with his fist ablaze. " _Fire Dragon's Blazing Claw!_ " Hiccup roared.

" _Sand Wall!_ " Wartihog yelled and summoned an entire wall of sand.

The sand wall was so powerful that no matter how much strength Hiccup focused into his 50 was unable to break through.

"I'm a whole lot stronger then I used to be," Wartihog smirked.

"Wartihog is beating Hiccup," Sven stared. "This is so unprecedented."

"I never thought I'd see the day," Speedfist breathed.

"Maybe this means we can beat them too," said Mulch.

"This is so scary," said Bucket.

No matter what Hiccup did he was unable to break through the sand wall and Wartihog was looking very confident. However, a split second later Hiccup was covered in flames and soon line began to shoot out in different directions from his body.

" _Lightning Flame Dragon Mode!_ " he yelled.

Everyone stared at Hiccup in amazement.

"Holy cow!" Ruby stared.

Hiccup's magic power then increased to unimaginable levels and upon seeing this Wartihog's confidence was shattered. "Whoa, I don't think I'm ready for this," he said.

" _Lightning Flame Dragon Roar!_ " Hiccup yelled.

He then unleashed a powerful breath attack of fire and lightning which missed Wartihog by inches. However, they kept for several feet knocking trees down and creating a crevice along the ground. Everyone just stared at him in shock and bewilderment, especially Wartihog, who lost a few hairs.

"Wow," Toothless breathed.

"Had enough?" Hiccup asked looking at the shocked Wartihog.

Ruby stared at him. "When did you figure out that you could use that technique?"

"Just now," said Hiccup.

"That's awesome," Merrill breathed.

"Well, that's it for me," said Wartihog holding his hands up in surrender. "I give up man. Really wasn't planning on getting killed today."

"So who's up next?" Hiccup asked looking at the others.

Immediately they backed away quickly.

"I'm good, thank you," said Speedfist.

"Yeah you win, Hiccup," Sven nodded.

"Good, because I can't find any more," said Hiccup.

Suddenly he toppled over and panted ferociously.

"Guess an attack like that would use up a lot of power," Ruby acknowledged.

"You should probably practice a bit more before pull that one out in the real battle," Toothless advised.

Merrill looked at Wartihog. "I never knew you were such a good fighter, Wartihog."

"Thanks, but obviously I still have a long way to go," said Wartihog rubbing the back of his head.

Stormfly frowned. "If everybody in the Guild has gotten that much more powerful why is it you let Twilight Ogre bull you around so much?"

"Yeah," said Hiccup as Ragnar helped him up. "I'm surprised that Gobber and Spitelout would allow that to go unpunished."

"Well Gobber and Spitelout were slightly distorted over the loss of you guys," said Sven. "Plus things were little more complicated than that."

"It was more of a problem for cash flow," said Speedfist.

"You don't expect us to settle our debts with brute force do you?" said Mulch.

"There's no fun biting an opponent you I'm indebted to," said Bucket.

"That's kind of how Master settled them right?" Ruby asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh yeah," said Wartihog awkwardly.

"But we got a massive problem on our hands now," said Hiccup.

"He's right," Ragnar nodded.

"What do you mean by that?" Ruby frowned.

"Gildarts and Alvin are still powerhouses, but no one else is kept up strength wise," said Ragnar. "A lot of us were asleep for seven years while everyone here was training."

"Yeah, you've got a point," Ruby nodded. "I mean Hiccup came really close of being showed up by Wartihog of all people."

"You're right, and he's really weak," Merrill agreed.

"At least she was nice enough not to say to my face," Wartihog sighed.

"I wonder if anyone knows a way for us to get our magic power to get a super-fast most," said Toothless rubbing his chin.

* * *

Hiccup and the others soon made their way to Gothi's place hoping that she might have a way to increase their magic power. Unfortunately, she wasn't in the best of moods to see them as the moment she saw them she closed the door behind.

"Scram!" she yelled.

"Sorry to bother you ma'am, but we were wondering if you had any potions that could help us!" Ruby yelled.

"At least something that can increase our power!" Ragnar called.

"I have a feeling it won't be that easy," Hiccup sighed.

Stormfly then noted the troubled look on Merrill. "What's the matter, child? You seem upset."

She merely just shook her head.

Gothi then opened the door again and glared. "You know I hate people so get lost! Shush!" she yelled whacking them with her broom.

"Run!" Hiccup yelled.

They quickly made a run for it and ran away from her house as quickly as they could.

"Sorry to bother you!" Ruby yelled.

"I wonder why she hates people?" Hiccup wondered.

"Who knows?" Ragnar shrugged.

"I hate people, because they fight for no good reason!" Gothi yelled.

Merrill looked around and stared at her before she caught up with the others.

Gothi merely watched as she disappeared from a distance.

* * *

Stoick had gathered the other members of the Guild and was looking at them also with them was Alvin.

"As some of you might be aware of Gildarts has gone on yet another journey," he said. "The both of us have talked about the future of the Guild and I refused to step down as Guild Master until we straighten the Guild out."

"Not an easy task," said Valka folding her arms.

"Indeed, which is why we are going to need all the powerful members we can get our hands on," Stoick nodded. "For that reason Gildarts has convinced me to invite Alvin back into the Guild!"

Everyone gasped upon hearing this bit of news.

"No way," Alvin stared.

"Welcome back to the fold, Master," said Dogsbreath.

"This is wonderful!" Rubbella tried hugging Alvin's arm. "The _Thunder Legion_ is back!"

"Yeah, that's true, I guess," Alvin nodded.

Fernis was crying his eyes out. "Thank you Gildarts. This is a pleasant day."

Valka then approached Agatha and handed her an envelope. "And this is for you," she said.

Agatha opened the envelope and discovered a card with Gildarts' face on it and a note.

' _To my dear Agatha, I'm sure you probably think I'm being selfish. Maybe you're right, but if you ever need me just use this card to get in touch. I'll come running back as fast as I can, I promise._ '

Agatha then promptly tore the card up.

"Are you freaking kidding me?" she yelled.

"Agatha?" Astrid stared.

"I told you I'm fine with being just as they were you dead beat dad," she said trying to hide her smile.

Stoick looked at them all. "Gildarts also said that he loved the Guild with all his heart and was confident that we would become the number one Guild in Septem by the time he returned. However, he said that getting the Guild back on top wasn't his responsibility but ours and that will be my final task is master. To return to _Dragon Tail_ to its former glory!"

Everyone looked at him and nodded.

"Of course I still need a trainer success trust me when I say that this job takes a lot out of you," he added.

Everyone then laughed.

"It's nice to see that things are finally back to normal," said Gobber.

"Took us long enough," said Spitelout.

Stoick looked at everyone laughing and enjoying themselves, but his main focus was upon Hiccup. Everyone seemed to agree that he would make the ideal Guild Master planning couldn't help but agree with them. Of course he had yet to see what the company the old Guildhall and upon seeing as he wondered whether Hiccup would take the mantle if he knew the truth of the Guild.

* * *

Meanwhile Hiccup and the others had ran a good fair distance away from Gothi's place and were now catching their breath.

"Hey, whose brilliant idea was it a visit Gothi in the first place?" Ruby asked.

"It was yours," said Toothless.

"And she's usually so sweet and charming," said Ragnar sarcastically.

"Actually we caught on a good mood, this time she didn't throw anything at us," said Hiccup.

"I heard that she wasn't bond of people, but I never expected all that," said Stormfly rubbing the back of her head.

"I forgot that you went Merrill have never actually met face-to-face," said Toothless looking at them.

Merrill apparently was in tears.

"Why are you crying, Merrill?" Ragnar asked. "Did that old lady scare you?"

"Hey, it's going to be okay," Ruby assured.

"Have to admit this is the first time that he made someone crying," said Hiccup. "She's usually a lot gentler to kids."

Merrill shook her head with her hands covering her face. "It's not like that," she said through tears. "She's just so familiar."

"What?" Hiccup stared.

"Have you two met before?" Stormfly frowned.

"I don't really know how to explain it exactly," she said. "But it's the truth. Her voice and her scent, they are so much like Grandeeney's."

Everyone then stared at her in bewilderment.

* * *

Meanwhile at the Guild there was some discussion over Gildarts request.

"Gildarts is out of his mind if we can beat Septem's number one Guild," said Speedfist.

"It's going to take a miracle to make something like that happen," said Wartihog.

"I don't think it's impossible," said Astrid looking at the two of them. "Besides we should rise to the challenge."

"That's a pretty tall order," said Speedfist.

"Yeah, things are different these days," Wartihog agreed.

"Sabretooth would be tough to beat," said Sven.

"Not to mention that even _Thor's Hammer_ and _Blue Pegasus_ yields have gotten way stronger," Phlegma added.

"But we got more powerful members now," said Bucket excitedly.

"Aye, but you guys are still seven years behind everybody else," Mulch pointed out.

Fishlegs looked slightly uneasy.

"Don't worry, Fishlegs. You'll always be number one in our books," said Helga and Ingrid at the same time.

"You have to admit that a substantial training gap," said Gobber.

"Whether you're talking about individual strength or even the Guild's overall power we still have a long way to go," said Spitleout.

"I see your point," Astrid sighed. "It seems it would take a good amount of time and training to reclaim our standing."

Gustav then jumped onto the table excitedly. "I waited for you guys for seven whole years. I'm sick and tired of waiting for something to happen."

"Gustav," Gobber warned.

"There's totally away for us to be number one again," said Gustav looking at everyone. "You all know what it is."

"What?" Speedfist stared.

"Not that," Bucket quivered.

"Come on," Warithog sighed.

"No!" Gobber said strongly. "Didn't I tell you that we would never take part in that thing again?"

"And what might that be, Gobber?" Stoick asked curiously.

"It's a long story," Gobber sighed.

* * *

Meanwhile in the forest everyone was still slightly bewildered with Merrill's announcement.

"Are you trying to tell us she's Grandeeney?" Ragnar frowned.

"How could a regular person have the same voice and scent as a dragon?" Ruby frowned.

"Is that even possible?" Toothless asked.

"I have the foggiest," said Stormfly.

"Yeah, Merrill, what do you mean?" Hiccup asked.

Merrill sniffed. "I don't know, but… she so familiar, it's confusing. She sounds and smells like my former Master, the Sea Dragon Grandeeney."

"There we should go back and asked a few questions," said Hiccup.

"Hold on, Hiccup, if she is the human version of Grandeeney there are a few things that don't add up," Ragnar pointed out.

"Well first of all, both your dragons vanished without a trace at the same time and don't forget the dragon that taught Eret also disappeared on the exact same day," Ruby pointed out. "All within the year 782 which was nine years ago, but Stoick has known Gothi since he was a kid. Your grandfather was a friend of hers so that means that she and Grandeeney were around at the same time, it just doesn't add up. I wish you could be true, but there's no way they can be one and the same."

"Guess that counts out any reincarnation or transformation," Ragnar added.

Ruby nodded. "Yeah."

"Plus she while she's good at potions, she has no magical abilities," Hiccup added.

"You know, when you start and explain it all like that it doesn't really make sense," Merrill agreed. "Besides her voice and the way she smells, her attitude is completely different."

"From all the stories you have told me your dragon was actually quite kind to people," Stormfly frowned.

"She certainly is the opposite to Gothi," Toothless agreed.

"Grandeeney was nice, she didn't hate anybody," said Merrill getting to her feet.

"Sorry, but it is kind of hard for me to picture a nice dragon," said Ragnar sceptically.

"Especially after a run-in with Acnologia," Ruby pointed out.

"Ingeel was like a second father to me. Besides, you can't judge an entire race by one individual after all we're not perfect," said Hiccup.

"You should listen to Hiccup, he actually knows what he's talking about," said a voice behind them.

They turned and saw that Gothi was standing behind them.

"Miss Gothi," Ruby gasped.

"You scared the hell out of us," Ragnar gasped.

Merrill then approached with an inquisitively look.

Gothi sighed. "There's no use in hiding it anymore. So I might as well tell you my big secret." She then looked at Merrill. "I know it's not what you want to hear, but I'm not the dragon you seek. I'm just a human being like your friends. I'm afraid I can't tell you where your dragon is, I simply don't know. The fact of the matter is we have no direct connection whatsoever."

"Then how you explain your similarities?" Ruby asked.

"You're familiar with alternate world of _Edolas_ are you not?" Gothi asked. "Rumour has it that you been there. I heard that you even met your counterparts' saw how our worlds correlate."

"How do you know about _Edolas_?" Ragnar stared.

"I think I know," said Ruby breathlessly.

"Wait, hold on," Hiccup stared.

"Oh my," Stormfly gasped.

"Every living being in Midgard has a counterpart there including dragons," Gothi explained. So, one could argue that I am the _Edolas_ version of your friend, Grandeeney. I am not from this world, but I found myself here several decades years ago."

"What?" everyone gasped.

"You're the _Edolas_ Grandeeney?" Stormfly stared.

"No way," Toothless breathed.

Merrill just stared at Gothi speechless.

"I was disoriented when I arrived, but your grandfather, Starkgard the Might, came to my aid," she said looking at Hiccup. "The peacefulness and beauty that I discovered here quickly endeared me to Midgard. So even though I had several opportunities to return to _Edolas_ , I have made the decision to call your world my new home."

"Does this mean that Ingeel and Metalicana have human versions in _Edolas_ too? Maybe they crossed over just like you did?" Hiccup asked.

"I have no idea," said Gothi honestly. "I've never encountered them. However, I did have the chance to speak to the Sea Dragon." Merrill looked up. "Although we didn't meet in the traditional sense, it was more mysterious. She spoke directly into my mind by way of telepathy. You originally came here seeking a means to gain power, I may be able to help Merrill in that regard, but only her."

She then pulled out a book and held it out to Merrill. "The Sea Dragon dictated this book of spells to me. It contains, among other things, the Sea Dragon spells _Endless Sea_ and _Deep Sea Ocean Bow_. Two _Dragon Slayer Secret Arts_ , she never got a chance to teach you."

Merrill took the book was utterly speechless. "I don't know what to say. Grandeeney really did this?"

"She asked me to give it to you should you ever come to visit," said Gothi. She then turned around and walked away. "Those are powerful spells, extremely dangerous. So be sure to exercise great caution."

Merrill began to cry. "Thank you so much Miss Gothi. Miss Grandeeney."

Gothi looked back and smiled at the young elven girl.

Back at the Guildhall, Gustav was still being quite firm with his proposal.

"We're going to do it this time," he said strongly looking at Gobber. "You're not the master any more Gobber."

"Neither are you, lad," Gobber pointed out. "I absolutely forbid it! We're never going to get involved with that thing again you hear."

* * *

Hiccup and the others arrived just in time to witness the argument.

"What did we miss?" Hiccup asked.

Wartihog looked at them. "Hey, so how did it go? Did you guys pick up anything worthwhile?"

"Well, Merrill sure did," said Ruby.

Merrill merely laughed nervously.

"You don't make the rules any more so just get over it!" Gustav yelled. "It's up to Stoick."

"I'm expressing myself as a member of the Guild!" said Gobber folding his arms.

"What's all the fuss this time?" Ragnar asked.

"Seems like typical teenage rebellion to me," said Stormfly.

Gobber looked at the Guild. "Those with you with me say, aye!"

"Aye!" said everyone raising their hands, minus the Cove Team, who were just confused.

"I don't ever want to go through that crap again," said Mulch.

"It gave me nightmares," Bucket quivered.

"But we've got that Cove Team with us this time," Gustav pointed out. "Hiccup, Astrid and all those guys. There's no way we're going to lose with them on our side."

"Haven't you been paying attention?" Speedfist asked. "They all missed out of seven years of training."

Fishlegs felt slightly uneasy.

"You're awesome, Fishlegs. Don't listen to those jerks," said Ingrid.

"Can someone explain what's exactly you're going on about?" Hiccup asked.

"While you guys were all stuck on Cove Island a tournament started to determine Septem number one Guild," Gustav explained.

"This sounds intriguing," said Toothless.

"Sounds like fun to me," Hiccup agreed.

"Guild from all over the country face off against each other in magic events they call it… _The Grand Magic Games_ ," Gustav announced.

"I'm liking the sound of it every second," said Hiccup.

"Yeah, it sounds totally amazing," Ruby agreed.

"I would love to play some games," said Merrill.

"So it's more like a kind of magic festival," Ragnar concluded.

Astrid nodded. "I understand, _Sabretooth_ is known as the top Guild in Septem these days, because they won the last go round."

"That's right, but if we can beat them and win the games this time we'll be number one instead," Gustav grinned.

"That would be nice, but I'm not entirely convinced we can win in our current state of disarray," said Stoick rubbing his beard.

"That's my point exactly," said Gobber.

"What do we have to lose?" Hiccup asked. "It's not like a reputation to get any worse."

"When you put it like that how can we lose," Stoick smiled at his son. "We're in."

"Seriously?" Gobber groaned.

"But Master it's going to be really hard," said Ingrid.

"There are tons of powerful guilds that are competing each year," Speedfist pointed out.

"Don't forget that we come in dead last every single time we've entered," Helga grumbled.

"That is pathetic," Snotlout snorted.

"Well, this year will just have to beat all those other guilds to a pulp," said Stoick swinging his fists.

"Like I always say when you are at rock bottom the only way to go is up," said Hiccup encouragingly. Hiccup looked at Gustav. "So when does this thing go down anyway?"

"In three months," said Gustav.

"That should be plenty of time, but were going to have to start training ASAP," said Hiccup. "We'll put _Dragon Tail_ back on top and nobody is going to get in our way."

The entire Cove Team smiled with enthusiasm.

"Let's get going," said Ragnar.

Ruby nodded. "Yeah, and if all of us start working together as a Guild…"

"There will be no stopping us," Astrid finished.

"I better start reading these new spells that Grandeeney wanted me to learn, huh," said Merrill looking at the spell book that Gothi gave her.

"Looks like we're about to go into overdrive," said Toothless.

"Looks like this Guild is always looking for an excuse to party," Stormfly sighed.

"This is going to be awesome!" Snotlout yelled.

"This is gonna be destructive!" Tuffnut yelled enthusiastically.

"So destructive that there's no way we can be blamed!" Ruffnut cried.

"Gildarts made it his wish," said Agatha. "We can be the top dogs in Septem again very soon."

"This is going to suck," Ingrid moaned.

"Please tell me you're joking," Helga pleaded.

"Come on, guys with your team spirit?" Fishlegs asked cheerfully.

"This is really not a good idea," said Bucket.

"I don't think you guys understand," said Mulch. "The games aren't your typical kind of fighting tournament."

"What you mean?" Hiccup asked.

"It's absolute hell," said Speedfist.

"Now that the final decision has been made there is no need for all this moaning and groaning," said Stoick. "So let's get to work so let's win that title of Septem's number one Guild! _Dragon Tail_ is entering the Grand Magic Games and aiming for the top!"

At that moment everyone cheered at the top of their voices.


	28. Song of the Stars

Hiccup's team along with Fishlegs' and Heather decided to go to Kingsing for their training. Naturally they chose a nice reclusive spot away from the tourists. All of them were wearing their bathing clothes.

"You know when I said that we should go to someplace the train I was more thinking of the mountains," said Hiccup folding his arms looking at Ruby.

"This is way more relaxing," said Ruby with her hands behind her head.

"There's plenty of time training," said Astrid. "But it is important to balance work and pleasure."

"I know, but did we really have to come to the beach?" Hiccup sighed.

"Stop being a buzz kill, Hiccup," said Ragnar he then leaned in closer towards him. "Besides helping you get to see Astrid in a bikini?"

"Fair point," said Hiccup who felt his cheeks glow pink.

"Hey, don't forget why you're here," said Helga.

"Yeah, by the time we're done with you…" said Ingrid placing a hand on her hips.

"You might stand a chance of beating us, because there ain't no way you can beat us now," said Helga smugly.

"Do you really want to put that to the test?" Hiccup asked raising an eyebrow.

Almost immediately the two girls backed away from him.

* * *

Merrill meanwhile chose a quiet spot in order to the spell book that Gothi gave her.

"Aw man," Merrill groaned realising how complicated the spells were. "This is going to be super tough."

* * *

The other members of _Dragon Tail_ had also started their training for the Grand Magic Games, but they chose less tropical locations. Snotlout team along with, Adelaide and Agatha were in one group, Alvin and his _Legion Platoon_ in another, Eret and Skullcrusher in another and finally Valka and Cloudjumper.

Finally Hiccup group were finally starting to do some training. Hiccup himself was deep beneath the waves and unleashed his breath attack. Toothless was in the air flying as quickly as he could and saw the flames erupting from the water.

He had to admit that he was quite impressed that Hiccup's breath attack could reach the surface despite being underwater with all that pressure. Hiccup eventually came up for air.

"That was awesome," said Toothless giving him the thumbs ups.

"You haven't seen nothing yet, bud," Hiccup smiled up at him. "I'm just getting started here. Just one good up my power even more."

He then dived back down into the waves and performed another breath attack.

Ragnar watched as the flames launched out of the water looking quite impressed himself.

"Always leads by example," he smiled. "Still I had better get training. I don't want to be left behind."

* * *

Ruby was sitting cross-legged meditating as Capricorn was giving her some well needed magic lessons. She was hoping to increase stamina so that she could keep her spirits around for much longer.

"In order to do that you must strengthen your mind," said Capricorn with his hands behind his back. "Thereby enhancing the vessel that holds your magic power. Feel the land, the wind, the air, focus on that sensation. You must control your breathing and try to become one with nature."

Ruby then took a deep breath and concentrated. Capricorn watched and saw a massive surge of magic power emanating from her body. A small vortex spun around her lifting sand into the air.

"There you go, that's it Lady Ruby, nice work," he nodded approvingly.

Ruby tried to maintain her focus, but unleashing this much power was a massive strain.

"Keep going, you need unleashed more magic power," he said.

Ruby did her best, but it was far too much and she collapsed completely exhausted. "That's tough, she panted.

"This takes me back to times I spent with Lady Crystal, I assisted with her training as well," said Capricorn.

Upon hearing her mother's name she remembered something and looked up at Capricorn.

"Hey, have you ever heard of _Primordial Magic_?" she asked.

"It's the magic which all others were created. The origin."

Ruby sat up straight. "I remember Hel saying that she wanted to get her hands on it. I guess… my Mum must have left out a bunch of stuff when she told me about it. She never mentioned Drago for the Grand Magic World, in fact she didn't bring up anything scary at all."

"What are you trying to say?" Capricorn frowned.

"It's hard to explain, but if the _Primordial Magic_ my Mum told me about when I was little of real then it is not something that Hel would ever be able to get her hands on, because it's not something tangible. From what I understand, it seems easy to get, but it is actually very hard to obtain and it's contradictory, because even if it's more powerful than anything in this world it could also be something incredibly weak. My mother once told me that all forms of magic began with the power of love. So that's why I think _Primordial Magic_ actually refers to love."

Capricorn smiled. "I like the way you think, Lady Ruby."

"If only Hel would have been able to see it that way to," she said sadly. "Maybe she could have avoided the depths of darkness."

* * *

Meanwhile everyone else was still training. Ragnar was creating as many ice constructed as he possibly could. Merrill was using Gale-Force Reading Glasses to understand the complex spells in her spell book and Fishlegs was assisting her.

Heather was lifting large blocks of water into the air and kept them airborne. Astrid was practising her sword skills using the waves in order to attack the most ideal moment. Hiccup and Toothless, who was in his battle form, were doing push-ups as quickly as they could with huge rocks on their backs.

* * *

Later that night, everyone was relaxing at the springs at their hotel. The girls had just left there springs and then looked at the starry night sky in wonder.

"Look the stars are so pretty," said Ruby happily.

"Yeah they are," Heather agreed. "I wonder how training is going for the others."

"Do you think they might be out there looking at the same stars as we are right now?" Merrill wondered.

In fact everyone were looking up at the stars in the locations after a nice long day of training. All of them were also thinking the same thing that they were not going to let their Guild down and that they would do whatever it took to become number one again.

"We can do it, I know we can," said Ruby confidently.

* * *

The next morning everyone was stretching preparing for another day of training.

"Ah man, I only feel stronger," said Hiccup.

"Me too, but we can't get lazy. We've got to keep training," said Ragnar.

"I can't believe our magic power increased so much and it's only the second day," said Merrill in amazement.

"If we keep training this hard the next three months I have no doubt that we'd be able to catch up with everyone else," said Astrid.

"Couldn't agree with you more," said Heather.

"Well we're not going to stop until we become Septem's number one Guild again," said Hiccup.

"At first I thought 'We've only got three months that's not enough time.' But now that we've really started training it's more like 'We've got three months this will be easy,'" Ruby smiled.

"Got that right," said Toothless.

Suddenly Virgo appeared out of nowhere from the ground.

"Mistress, terrible news," she said.

"This is unexpected," said Toothless.

"A bit of warning could have been nice," said Stormfly.

Ragnar then approached Virgo. "I'm glad you're here Virgo, because I've been wondering what something. What happened to you and the other Celestial Spirits when Ruby got stuck in the _Dragon Shield_ for seven years? Did you get trapped in your world, because she couldn't summon you?"

Ruby's eyes widened and then looked Virgo apologetically. "I'm sorry, I didn't even think about how it affected you guys. I just went ahead and summoned you during _Key of the Starry Heaven_ incident like it was no big deal."

"You did hand other things on your mind at the time," Heather reminded. She then looked Virgo. "But I can't even imagine the boredom you and the others must have faced with Ruby gone."

"There's no need for apologies," said Virgo assured. "I appreciate your concern, but we were never all that bored."

"Is there something wrong, Virgo?" Fishlegs asked.

Virgo looked at him troublingly. "The Celestial Spirit World is on the brink of destruction. I beg you, we really need _Dragon Tails_ help right now."

Everyone stared at her.

"That's horrible," said Astrid.

"Is there anything we can do?" Ragnar asked.

"I've been asked to bring you to our world at once," said Virgo. "The King would like to explain the situation to you himself."

"Say no more, just led the way," said Hiccup. "If our friends need help we won't let them down."

Ruby frowned. "Wait a minute, I thought mortals weren't able to enter the Celestial Spirit world?"

"Well, there is one way that it is possible, Mistress. You'll simply have to wear Celestial Spirit garments." She then took several steps back and out stretched her hands. "Here we go."

"Hang on? We're going right now?" Ruby stared.

Suddenly a Magic Circle appeared beneath their feet and suddenly they yelled at a large beam of light covered them. When the light faded they were gone, but Helga and Ingrid remained behind.

"Whoa, they just vanished into thin," Ingrid stared.

"How come we don't get to come to?" Helga frowned.

* * *

Hiccup and the others then felt themselves falling and landed hard on the floor. Once they pick themselves up they discovered that they were no longer wearing their swimsuits, but instead Celestial garments.

However, that wasn't what drew their attention. They looked around at their surroundings and their eyes widened, because the Celestial Spirit realm had to be the most beautiful place in the entire universe. It was hard to describe stars twinkled brightly, floating islands floated around them and there were pillars made of crystal all you around them.

"This is the Celestial Spirit world?" Ruby gasped.

"Wow, it's so pretty," said Merrill in aura.

"And so we meet again, human girl," said a voice behind them. "I beat you welcome to our world."

Everyone turned around and saw standing over them was the Celestial Spirit in himself, the ruler of this world.

"I forget how big he is," said Hiccup.

Ruby then approached him. "Celestial Spirit King?"

"So you're the ruler of this kingdom?" Astrid asked.

"Indeed I am," he nodded.

Ruby looked up at him. "Is it true that your world is on the brink of destruction?"

He looked down at her and laughed much to the confusion of Ruby. "Ruby and friends, I have requested your presence so that we might honour your remarkable return from the prison of time. Now let us celebrate!"

Suddenly appearing all around them were Ruby Celestial Spirits. Everyone just looked at them in confusion.

Ruby then turned on Virgo. "I thought you were facing destruction?"

"I lied," Virgo smiled.

"What?" Ruby stared.

Taurus laughed. "Sorry for treating you like that, Miss Ruby, but it was worth it to see that face."

"We wanted to surprise you and your friends, baby," Cancer explained.

"We were extremely happy when we heard you had returned and we wanted to celebrate with you," said Capricorn.

"But there's no way that all of us could manifest in the mortal world at the same time so we decided to bring you here," said Lyra.

"Everyone wanted to attend the party and that's the only way we could have made it happen," said Aries. "Sorry about that."

"Not many mortals come here, but you're wicked," said Scorpio.

"This is a one-time thing so don't get cocky," Aquarius pointed out.

"We appreciate the invitation, but we are busy with training," said Hiccup.

"Don't be such a buzz kill, Hiccup. I'm sure we can spend one day celebrating with our friends here," said Ragnar.

"I don't like being called here under false pretense is," said Hiccup folding his arms.

"Come on we can celebrate now that we know that their world is not in danger, there was no harm done," said Ragnar.

Hiccup looked at everyone and saw that there was no convincing them. "Fine," he sighed.

They all cheered.

"Then let us start the festivities," said Sagittarius.

"You know Ruby I wouldn't mind it if he would jump into my arms. Just saying," said Leo.

"Oh you," Ruby blushed.

"Then let the celebration begin," said the Celestial Spirit King. "Tonight we shall eat, drink and celebrate and sing as we celebrate the return of our old friend, the human girl Ruby and her colleagues."

* * *

It wasn't just Ruby Celestial Spirits that were celebrating but others as well so many that they couldn't count. It in take them long to be transported to the Celestial King's Palace where there was a massive feast the likes of which they could only imagine.

Ragnar and Leo bumped fists.

"It's been a while, man," he said smiling.

"I heard that you made S Class, I'm glad that I could help," said Leo.

Merrill made her way to Horologium and smiled up at him.

"Hello, Horologium," she said cheerfully.

"Good to see you my dear," he said.

"I just wanted to say thanks again for saving my life," she said gratefully.

"You're too kind," he smiled. "There's no need to thank me."

"Although I have to say it was kind of embarrassing when my clothes came off," she said blushing slightly.

"Oh, my I'm sure it was," he said.

Ruby was standing behind with a huge smile on her face. "'My apologies. Please, forgive me,' he said sincerely," she said.

* * *

Aquarius was actually sitting on a table next to Heather.

"Excuse me, but aren't you the girl that wants to joined Ruby?" she asked.

"You could say that," she said.

"You've got a boyfriend, don't you?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Uh, well, no," she said awkwardly blushing slightly.

Aquarius looked quite surprised. "Seriously? A cutie like you, you better step up your game or you're going to end up like Ruby."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean!" Ruby yelled from across the room.

* * *

Fishlegs was actually in the library and was amazed by the collection of books that was stacked amongst each other.

"Wow, this is incredible," he said breathlessly. "There's so many books that I've never even seen before."

Unsurprisingly, Crux was the caretaker of this library and he smiled at Fishlegs.

"Oh, really? Then please take one as a souvenir," he said.

Fishlegs' eyes sparkled as he turned towards him. "Really?" However, he instantly fell asleep. "He's asleep?"

"Nah," said Ruby walking up to him. "He just looks that way, he's actually thinking."

* * *

Toothless and Stormfly were with Gemini twins.

"It's nice to see that you guys didn't suffer while we were gone," said Toothless.

"Yes, we can even consider what this could have done to you," Stormfly nodded.

"Time means nothing but asked," said Gemi.

"When you're immortal things often pass you by," said Mini.

* * *

Taurus approached Hiccup and Astrid.

"Have to say you to make a cute couple," he said folding his arms. "You know I'm surprised that you this long to get together."

"There was a pretty good reason why we did get together sooner," said Hiccup.

"In fairness, I did put a lot of men off with my tendency of slamming them against before," she said blushing slightly.

"Well, it was clearly that the direct approach wasn't going to work," said Hiccup as he took a drink. "I decided to take it nice and slow."

"Perhaps you were took it little bit too slowly," said Astrid smiling.

"Well, I wanted the situation to be perfect," Hiccup shrugged.

"I suppose rescuing me from a collapsed tower made of pure lacrima created by a madman was a very romantic moment," Astrid nodded.

* * *

Ragnar was looking around in amazement.

"This place is pretty amazing," he said.

"I'm glad you like home," said Aries as she approached him. "You are at all the first mortals to visit our world."

"I forgot that the whole contract thing prevents you from taking waters into the _Celestial Spirit Realm_ ," said Ragnar folding his arms.

"Mortals can only visit if the Celestial Spirit King permits it and as you can imagine that is a very rare thing indeed."

"Then we're on it," he said.

"Have to admit when I pictured the _Celestial Spirit Realm_ in my head it didn't look anything like this, but I think that's a good thing," said Ruby with a large smile.

"It is only natural that our world would surprise you," said the Celestial Spirit King, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor. "For it is a mystery to mortals, with had many model friends over the years, but like Aries said you are the first."

"Then we better enjoy it while it lasts," said Ragnar.

* * *

Then Lyra then pulled out her harp and began to play. The sound that exited from the harp of soothing and calm and then she started to sing in a nice calm voice that reached to their hearts.

 _I can see you there,_

 _Right by my side like always_

 _You never left or let me down my friend._

Hiccup and Astrid were dancing the night away as were Ragnar and Heather. Leo too was dancing with Aries laughing as they did so.

 _I can feel you there,_

 _Close to my heart as always_

 _Your soul and mind share a bond made of love._

Fishlegs was helping himself to the food with Taurus and Sagittarius. Aquarius and Scorpio actually laughing. Cancer was fixing Merrill's hair and was doing a pretty good job of it.

 _So as the sky turned grey,_

 _And the clouds gather above._

 _Trying to fight back your tears_

 _Feeling so lost and alone._

Toothless and Stormfly enjoying themselves with the other small Celestial Spirits and the Gemini twins.

 _I am the star that burned for you,_

 _Shining through the night_

 _Just follow me, I will guide you home._

The Celestial King just stood there listening to the song and Ruby fell tears rushing out of her eyes. She started to remember her father and Sigrid and knew how much the two of them loved her. She also regretted how she failed to rekindle any relationship she had with father before he passed away, but she knew deep down that he loved her he just had a funny way of showing it.

 _And when you feel lost at sea,_

 _Listen for my song_

 _Calling you back to the shore._

When the song finally ended Ruby found herself in tears as different kinds of emotions flowed into her. Regret, sadness, guilt, but there was also happiness and love.

"That was beautiful," she cried. "Thank you. I love you all."

* * *

Eventually the party was over and all of them had left the powers feeling quite stuck from all the food and worn out from all the dancing.

"Whoa, you spirit so we know how to throw a party," said Astrid.

"I've never eaten such tasty food in all my life," Ragnar nodded.

"I suppose it was worth it missing one day of training," said Hiccup.

Fishlegs was still holding the book that Crux had given him. "Are you sure it's okay for me to take this one?"

"Hey guys, can we keep these outfits to?" Merrill asked gesturing to their clothes.

"I have to say this was a nice little experience," said Toothless.

Stormfly nodded. "And who would have for those two would have gotten along," she said gesturing to Heather and Aquarius.

"You've really got it rough, stay strong," said Aquarius shaking her hand.

"No, you got it much worse than me," said Heather.

The Celestial King looked down at them. "Take care of yourself, old friend. Remember no matter where you go we will always be with you."

Ruby nodded.

"Looking forward to working with you again," said Scorpio.

"Yes indeed, feel free to call upon us at any time," Capricorn agreed.

"Tell the guilt that I will visit them soon," said Leo.

"Goodbye, we enjoyed having you here and appreciate you looking after Ruby for," said Aries looking at the others.

"Bye," said the other spirits.

"This is goodbye for now," said the Celestial King. "May the guidance of the stars keep you well. Until we meet again."

Then with a wipe of his cape he vanished into thin air.

Astrid looked at Ruby. "It's obvious that all the Celestial Spirits love you dearly."

"Yeah, they're the best friends a Viking can hope for," said Ruby brushing the tears out of her eyes.

"All right guys, we've had our found so now it's time for us to get back to the beach and trained for the Grand Magic Games," said Hiccup looking at everyone.

"Agreed, we're in a good place because we still got three months to catch up to the other guilds," Ragnar nodded.

" _Dragon Tail_ is going to take _Sabretooth_ down!" Toothless cheered.

"Oh, there's something I probably should have mentioned before we came here," said Virgo. Everyone turned and looked at her curiously. "In our world time flows a bit differently than it does in yours."

"Hang on, how exactly does time flow in your world?" Hiccup asked dreading the answer.

"If it moves slower then we should our training here," said Ragnar.

"Not quite," said Virgo. "It moves faster. You see, just one day in the Celestial Spirit world is the same as three months whole month in the human world."

* * *

A few moments later, Virgo returned them all back to the beach and they just stood there completely stunned struck. Helga and Ingrid then rushed over towards them.

"What took you so long?" Helga asked. "We've been waiting for ever."

"There's only five days to go until the Grand Magic Games. I hope you guys got some training in while you were gone," said Ingrid.

Hiccup, Astrid and Ragnar took this the hardest.

"It's all over," they said and in collapsed onto the beach.

Merrill broke into tears and Ruby was absolutely furious.

"No way!" she yelled looking up at the sky. "Get us our time back you idiot of a King!"


	29. For All the Time We Missed Each Other

To say Hiccup and the others were depressed would have been an understatement. They had gotten out of their celestial garments and back into their normal beach clothing.

"I can't believe this," Astrid groaned.

"Three months wasted," said Hiccup.

"Just because we spent one day in the Celestial Spirit world this sucks," said Toothless.

"Can someone send us back in time for once?" Ragnar asked.

"What are we going to do?" Ruby asked.

"We should have listened to you in the first place, Hiccup," said Heather rubbing her forehead in depression.

"Not like any of us knew that this would happen again," Hiccup sighed.

* * *

At the Guildhall the _Thor Hammer_ Guild, the guild master Ursula the Unrelenting was looking at her entire Guild. Ursula was an old lady in her 80s, but despite her age she was quite energetic.

"You kids have no shame!" she yelled. "That's the only explanation! Why else would you be content with second place every year! We may have seen it as planning games before, but not this time you hear me! I'm going to win you whippersnappers into shape!"

"Uh, shut up Ursula!" Torn groaned.

"Can't call it a day without the hag going senile," said Veger.

Ursula then looked at Lyon and Jura. "Lyon and Jura! I want you to win the games this year!"

"All right, that says jump we jump" Lyon sighed.

"Well, the festival should be a nice distraction if nothing else," said Jura.

The entire Guild cheered upon hearing this news.

"If Lyon and Jura are in it we're sure to win!"

"Awesome, I can already taste victory!"

"Look out Septem we're after number one!"

* * *

At the _Blue Pegasus_ Guildhall, Humungously was also discussing the grand magic games with Olatrand.

"So, did you hear, the hag from _Thor's Hammer_ decided to toss in the Viking Lord Jura into the grand magic games this year," said Humungously.

"Man, that reeks of distressing parfum," said Olatrand as he took a sip of his wine.

"It throws a nasty little wrench in our plan to win that's for sure," Humungously agreed.

"Well then how about we unleash our own little wrench in return?" Olatrand offered.

Humungously stared at him. "Tell me you're not serious."

"I'm super serious. There is a dangerous parfum out in the games, we should go sniff it out."

* * *

At _Sabretooth_ both Sting and Rogue had just received quite some interesting news.

"For real," said Sting looking down at Hookfang. "Hiccup and the others are entering the Grand Magic Games?"

"Yep, that's the rumour that's been going around Berk anyway," said Hookfang.

"If the rumours are true they've also been training these last three months non-stop," said Skull.

Sting looked at Rogue. "Things have gotten a whole lot more interesting. This will be awesome."

"I couldn't care less," said Rogue dismissively.

Deep within a harsh and barren wastelands was the location of the _Raven Tail_ Guildhall and its master Excellinor had also received the news of _Dragon Tail's_ return and was hatching a most sinister plan.

"For seven long years you've made me wait Stoick," she said as a small paper doll exited out of the hand. "That time of judgement, our chance to blacken and crush the Dragons has come. I can't wait until the games, I can hardly contain myself."

Standing either side of her was the top members of her guilt. The human with long red hair, a dwarf wearing gauntlets with spikes sticking out of them, an elf with sinister-looking eyes and a large human covered in bandages with a small creature on his shoulder.

* * *

Meanwhile Hiccup and the others were trying to come with a way to get stronger, but nothing came to mind.

"There are five days left until the Games," said Ingrid. "How are we supposed to win?"

"It's like déjà vu all over again," said Helga.

"I guess will be sitting on the sidelines while everybody else competes in the games," Fishlegs groaned.

"Now how my supposed to catch up with Skullcrusher when he has a three-month lead?" Toothless sighed.

Merrill and Stormfly stared at him.

"I did know that you care about that," Stormfly blinked.

"It's not too late," said Astrid getting to her feet. "We still have five days to train. It will be like walking into the gates of Helheim so prepare yourselves."

"Astrid, no matter how much we train we won't be able to catch up with the others," said Hiccup folding his arms. "We need another plan."

"You got any ideas?" Ragnar asked.

Before Hiccup could answer a pigeon then landed on his shoulder.

"A bird?" Ruby blinked.

"Check it out there's something around its leg," Ragnar noted.

"It's a note," said Hiccup as he took the note of the leg of the pigeon. He then began to read it. "' _Hey, Dragon Tail. You better come to the broken suspension bridge on the Western Hill._ '"

"Someone is telling us to go to a bridge?" Toothless frowned.

"I don't really care for their own and why should we follow them anyway?" said Ragnar.

"What should we do?" Merrill asked.

"Ignore it of course," said Stormfly.

"I think we should go there," said Astrid.

"You know this sounds like a trap to me," Fishlegs pointed out.

"I agree with Legs this has trap written all over it," Ruby agreed.

"We'll just have to see," said Astrid.

"It's not like we can do much else," said Hiccup.

* * *

They made their way to the bridge which was mentioned in the message and found that it was indeed broken overlooking a large chasm with a flowing waterfall beneath it.

"This must be the broken suspension bridge," said Astrid.

"Then where is our messenger?" Hiccup asked.

"There's no one here," Merrill nodded.

"Looks like it was just a prank," said Ragnar.

"Well, now that's settled get back to the beach," said Ruby.

Then suddenly the ground shook and to their astonishment the bridge started to repair itself. Within seconds the bridge was completely assembled and looked strong and steady.

"What the—?" Helga stared.

"That's the first," said Ragnar.

"The bridge, it fixed itself," Fishlegs gasped.

"Okay, what do we do now?" Ragnar asked.

"Obviously were supposed across it," said Astrid.

"I still say that this is a trap," said Fishlegs.

"I want to go home," Merrill quivered.

"Clearly our mysterious messages on the other side of the bridge," said Hiccup folding his arms.

"And who's going across the bridge?" Ruby asked.

"I will," said Hiccup.

"You sure you want to do this?" Astrid asked.

"The only way were going to find out what's going on here," said Hiccup. Hiccup then looked at Toothless. "Toothless, just get ready to catch me, bud."

"You got it," Toothless nodded.

Hiccup started to make his way across the bridge which began to shake though that was unsurprisingly considering that it was a bridge. About thirty seconds, but he was able across the other side without incident.

"I made it!" Hiccup yelled.

"Guess the bridge is safe to cross," said Ruby.

"Now that we know it's safe to cross let's stop wasting time," said Astrid as she began to cross the bridge. "Move it people!"

* * *

Eventually all of them across the bridge and the starting to make their way through the woods on the other side of the gorge. Still there was no trace of their mysterious messenger which was making them all a bit uneasy.

"Still no sign of anyone," said Hiccup looking around.

"I wonder why they don't show themselves?" Astrid frowned.

"It could be another Guild trying to take us out before the Games start," Ragnar offered.

Astrid then came to a stop and raised a hand to stop the others. They all looked in the direction she was looking and saw three figures in blue robes standing in front of them.

"Some of there," said Ruby.

"Keep your guard up," said Heather.

The three robed then started to make their way towards them and Hiccup recognise the scent of two.

"Wait, I recognised two of their sense," said Hiccup.

Everyone prepare themselves expecting the worst.

"You came," said the robed figure in the middle, whose voice was very familiar. "Thank you."

The robed triggers then remove their hoods and everyone gasped, because standing before them words Jellal, Ultear and Orara. Jellal and Ultear didn't look any different, but Orara has certainly grown up and now had her blonde hair in a ponytail.

"It's nice to see you again," said Jellal.

"It really you," Astrid stared.

"You haven't changed, Astrid," said Jellal. "I take the word of my prison break reached you sometime ago?"

"Yes," Astrid nodded.

Jellal then looked away from her. "Please know I never attended to escape."

"Orara and I didn't give him much of a choice in the matter," Ultear explained.

"That was all you Ultear," Orara smiled. "Don't call me into your criminal behaviour."

Heather just stared at Orara and couldn't believe how much she changed. "Orara?" she gasped.

Orara looked at him and smiled broadly. "Long time no see, Heather."

Heather merely smiled though slightly taken aback by her new cheerful attitude. Orara had certainly turn into a beautiful and charming young woman.

"Jellal broke out of prison?" Ruby stared.

"And with _Grimoire Heart_ no less," said Hiccup folding his arms.

"Relax, they're not our enemies anymore," Ragnar assured. He then looked at Ultear. "Isn't that right?"

"Yes," Ultear nodded. "I committed many sins as a member of _Grimoire Heart_. So many that I doubt that I could ever atone for all of them. So I've dedicated myself for bringing some measure of peace to the people I've heard until the day I die."

"You risk so much to rescue him from prison?" Merrill breathed.

"Because Jellal is one of them," said Ultear regretfully.

"You don't owe me anything, Ultear. We were both possessed by darkness," Jellal dismissed. "It's in the past now."

Astrid looked at him. "Jellal, has your memory returned?"

"Every bit of it," said Jellal looking as if he wanted to forget all over again. "Including my sins." Astrid just stared at and she could only imagine the kind of guilt he was feeling. "Six long years, I've been living with the guilt of all the things I've done." He then looked at Astrid. "Astrid, I'm sorry, but words cannot erase your pain."

"I was the one controlling Jellal during the Tower of Valhalla incident," said Ultear taking a step forward. "The blame is mine so don't punish him. Besides, I think he's been through enough as it is."

"I could either spend the rest of my life in prison or lose my life and be done with it," said Jellal. "Whatever happens at least my penance would be paid."

"But now that you're free you have a chance to find a positive purpose in your life," Merrill pointed out.

Jellal looked at her. "Merrill, there's no easy way to explain this, but the Jellal you knew is someone else entirely."

"Oh yeah, don't worry. We clear that a while back," said Merrill.

"Seven years to be precise," said Hiccup under his breath.

"I found a purpose, but I'm not sure you can call the completely positive," Jellal continued.

"The three of us have formed a Guild of our own," Ultear explained. She then turned her back towards them and moved her cape out of the way to reveal to reveal their Guilds which had some sort of skull beneath two ancient elven symbols. "It's an independent Guild neither officially recognised nor aligned with anyone. It's name is _Crime Sorcière_ or Vikings Crime."

"An independent Guild?" Fishlegs stared.

"What does that mean?" Toothless asked.

"You're not affiliated with any alliances?" Stormfly frowned.

" _Crime Sorcière_ ," Ingrid breathed. "I've heard of you before."

"Yeah, me too," Helga nodded. "You guys have taken down a bunch of Dark Guilds over the past few years."

"Unfortunately, our one true goal eludes us," said Ultear regretfully.

"Drago," said Jellal. Everyone stared at them with their eyes widened. "Dark Guilds and any evil force in the world that seeks to destroy the lives of innocents. We will purge every one of them so that no Viking will be possessed by his darkness again."

"You guys certainly don't think small do you?" said Hiccup.

"That a seriously righteous course," said Ruby.

"With all the good you've done I'm surprised the Viking Council won't accept you," said Ragnar.

"I am a convex," Jellal reminded.

"And Ultear and I used to be _Grimoire Heart_ ," Orara reminded.

"Besides if we were to become official we would be able to go after Dark Guilds anymore because of the _Inter Guild Conflict Ban Treaty_. We are far more useful if we remain who we are now."

"Anyway, as much as we love to keep catching up we brought you here to ask you a favour," said Ultear. "Is it true you will be entering the Grand Magic Games this year?"

"Yes. Why?" Hiccup asked curiously.

"We won't be able to enter the Coliseum without trouble. If all of you are willing we like you to do something while you're there."

"May I ask why you're so interested in the Coliseum?" Hiccup asked.

"Every year we sense unusual magic power during the Games. We want you to find out was behind it," Jellal explained.

"Are you serious?" Hiccup asked.

"Guilds from all over Septem gather for the Games. The place is full of magic," Ruby pointed out.

"Don't you think you may be a little paranoid?" Fishlegs asked.

"We wouldn't be asking you we weren't absolutely certain," said Jellal. "What's more the power we've been sensing is not only evil, but it is reminiscent of Drago."

"Drago?" Astrid stared. "Are you sure that it is related?"

"We believe our prior involvement with him have given us the ability to perceive any trace of his powers."

"This does sound troubling," said Hiccup folding his arms.

"Now do you understand why ascertaining the truth is paramount?" said Ultear.

"If you can track down the source of the mysterious energy it may help us locate him," said Jellal.

"And you'll be compensated just like any other job," Orara assured. "Discretion is important we don't want the culprit to know that we're onto them. So we'll be rooting for you behind-the-scenes."

"Sounds like a wild goose chase, but we'll do it," said Hiccup. "Thank you."

"You sure about this Hiccup?" Astrid asked.

"We don't have much choice," said Hiccup. "Guilds from all over Septem will be gathering around this power, it could be trouble for us too."

"Did we mention that we'll be paying upfront?" Ultear smiled.

"Money?" Ruby asked.

"No, no nothing so material," said Ultear with a small smile. She then held out her crystal ball. "I've had years to improve upon my _Arc of Time Magic_. I can use it to enhance your abilities." Everyone just stared at her. "A powerful up. At least that's one way to put it. Though it's not entirely accurate.

"Vikings possess something like an internal container that determines how much magic power they can have. Though it is depleted with every spell you cast your body actually draws in ethernano from the surrounding atmosphere all on its own and continues to do so until the container is full again.

"But recent research has revealed that there is a part of this container, and the magic it holds, that goes unused. A reservoir of dormant power, they have come to call these hidden strobes of magic the Second Origin."

"Seriously?" said Hiccup.

"Not only can my _Arc of Time_ force your containers to grow, but I can also grant you access to your Second Origin. Simply put you will not only be able to use more powerful magic, you can keep using it for longer periods of time."

Everyone looked at each other excitedly.

"Your timing couldn't be better, because we need something almost exactly like that," said Hiccup.

"Be ready, unlocking your Second Origin will involve unbelievable imaginative pain," Ultear warned.

Upon hearing this piece of information Merrill and Fishlegs began to quiver in fear.

"I don't like the sound of that," said Fishlegs.

Hiccup then took a step forward. "Then let's get this done."

Almost immediately Ragnar went over to talk to Ultear and Heather and Orara were hugging each other as if they were related. Astrid however was looking at Jellal and had some mixed feelings.

* * *

Later that evening, Hiccup volunteered to be the first to get the power boost. It turned out that Ultear had been kidding around it by saying that they would experience intense pain. Parts of Hiccup's body was glowing and he was twisting and turning and yelling out in pain.

"Man, I hope whatever the hell we signed up for is worth it," said Ragnar.

"I don't think this is a very good persuasive advertisement for it," said Ruby looking appalled.

"Stay strong," said Ultear. "I know this is tough but you still have long way to go Hiccup."

Hiccup continue to roar and twist and turn in pain.

"Are you sure he's going to get through this thing?" Ruby asked.

"Just what kind of pain is he feeling?" Ragnar asked.

Orara smiled. "Want a Sensorial Link with him and see?"

"Are you crazy?" Ragnar stared.

Heather merely smiled at Orara and she couldn't be more proud of her. She had managed to find a playful sense of humour.

Fishlegs and Merrill were quibbling slightly up on the site of Hiccup, because they knew he was the toughest of them all.

"Do we really have to go through that to?" Fishlegs panicked.

"I think I'm going to cry," said Merrill.

"If you want to get stronger you just have to endure at it," said Stormfly.

Helga and Ingrid decided to leave at that point.

"We don't need the extra strength so we'll be going," said Ingrid.

"Catch you later," said Helga.

Toothless merely watched as Hiccup endured the pain. "Stay strong."

"Do you happen to know where Astrid went?" Stormfly asked.

"She and Jellal went somewhere to be alone for a bit," said Toothless.

Heather frowned. "She still has feelings for him, doesn't she?"

"Those two have been through a lot," said Ragnar. "Though I think she knows that her feelings for Hiccup are way stronger."

"Let's just hope that Jellal doesn't take it hard," said Heather looking at him.

Orara looked at the two of them and wondered when the two of them would actually get-together.

Ruby looked around. "Astrid."

* * *

Astrid was with Jellal overlooking the cliff and stared off into the ocean with the sun was setting.

"So, you remember everything that happened?" she asked.

"I do," he nodded.

"Does that include… what happened to Olaf?"

Jellal looked at his hands. "He died by my hand."

"What about the Nirvana incident?"

"Everything. I remember it being trapped in a fog of amnesia. It's a strange feeling."

Astrid looked down at him. "Is it accurate to say I'm speaking with the Jellal I knew as a child?"

"I'd be happy if you thought of it that way, but given my crimes I won't blame you if you keep your distance and if you decide to avenge Olaf I won't try and stop you. My life was forfeit long ago."

"Do you honestly think that Olaf would want you to die? What about your new guilt and the good you've done thought it? Why can't get it in your life to fighting the darkness being your atonement?"

"Because I don't think it can."

"Why not?"

"Don't get me wrong… when I first created _Crime Sorcière_ I hoped that it would bring me peace, but the things I did at the Tower of Valhalla can't be made right that easily. Is there really a point to what I'm doing? Will these horrible thoughts ever go away? I feel so lost perhaps it would be best if I did die."

Astrid had heard enough and stormed over to him and slapped him across the face much to his surprise.

"You'd be satisfied the coward's way out?" Astrid yelled.

"I don't have the strength to overcome this," said Jellal. "Not like you."

"You think that you need to be strong in order to live? You're wrong! Life itself is what gives us strength!" She then placed her hands on his shoulders. "I don't see the old Jellal before me, that man was full of life. He would never give up without a fight!"

"Maybe he's dead then."

"Snap out of it!" she yelled grabbing the helm of his shirt and lifted him off his feet. She then sighed and released him. "I thought about giving up and question what was the point of living, but then I saw this scrawny Viking getting back onto his feet no matter how many times he fell. He never gave up trying to become stronger, he didn't care what anyone thought of him, he just kept going. Hiccup gave me the strength not to give up."

Jellal looked at her. "You and him have become very close, haven't you?"

Astrid looked at him awkwardly. "I'm sorry, Jellal."

"No, it's fine," said Jellal assured. "He's ten times the man I am and a strong Viking. You know it was he who freed me from Ultear's control."

"Really?" Astrid asked looking at him.

Jellal nodded. "His final attack somehow severed the strings she used only. That is what set me free."

"He always seems to impress," Astrid smiled. She then looked at him. "So you and Ultear are married now?"

Jellal looked at her. "How could you about that?"

"I could see it in your face and hers," she smiled. "Though I imagine that it is not official."

Jellal shrugged. "I doubt there are any temples out there who would allow such a marriage." He then sighed. "Something just clicked between us and Orara kept on pressing on us until we finally admitted our feelings though I wish I could give her a better life."

"As long as she's with you I think you'll be happy," Astrid smiled.

"I can do that," he smiled.

* * *

Soon it was night and now everyone was experiencing the Second Origin all of them were crying out in pain and could barely move. In fact the only person that was able to move of Astrid.

"It seems your magic is causing the others some distress," she noted.

"How are you not been affected by it?" Ultear frowned.

Astrid merely shrugged.

"I wish we could help you further, but we have to stay on the move," said Jellal. "This is goodbye for now."

"Get a hold of us by carrier pigeon if you find anything," said Orara. "In the meantime do your very best at the games."

"Yes, we will," Astrid assured.

"Good luck and don't forget will be there in spirit cheering you on," said Ultear.

"Isn't there some way we could see it ourselves?" Orara asked.

"We could use disguises."

"Forget it," said Jellal. He then looked at Astrid one last time before putting on his hood. "Until we meet again Astrid."

"Bye-bye!" Orara yelled cheerfully waving as they walked away.

"Give the others our best as Ragnar looked after him for me," said Ultear.

Astrid just watched as they walked down the beach and saw Jellal smiling at her and she can help but smile back until they disappeared from view.

* * *

Jellal and the others had made camp within a cave and were staying warm by a fire they had made.

"That magic worries me," said Jellal. "If it is related to Drago it could prove deadly to our friends."

"Well after seeing what they can do first-hand I'm sure they'll find some way of pulling through," Ultear said confidently.

"So you told Astrid about you and Ultear?" Orara asked.

"Actually she found out herself and she took it quite well," said Jellal.

"Considering that she had a relationship already that's not entirely surprising," Ultear pointed out.

"Still's advice she figured out so quickly," said Jellal rubbing the back of his head.

"We women have a way of knowing such things," said Ultear as she laid her head on his shoulder.

* * *

Astrid just looked up at the full moon and couldn't help but smile.

"That smile proved it," she said with a large smile. "He is himself again and it's nice to know that he found some happiness."


	30. Crocus the Golden Capital

Hiccup and the others soon return back to the Guildhall to meet everyone else. Hiccup and the others were still quite exhausted from the unlocking of the Second Origin.

"Home Sweet home," said Hiccup.

"Are you guys just going to lay around all day? Get up!" said Gobber's voice.

Hiccup looked up and saw that the Guild were looking down at them.

"Yeah, stand up!" Snotlout yelled. "Show us that you're not all useless."

The training that Snotlout did certainly show that he was packing a lot more muscle than he did three months ago.

"Whoa, Snotlout, you're packing some serious muscle," said Hiccup.

"We both trained very hard up in the mountains for the past few months," said Adelaide.

"Now I've got some muscles to flex for the ladies," said Astrid.

Both Astrid and Heather groaned in disgust.

"The two of our sound enhancer magic and that in creating larger explosions," said Ruffnut.

"Do you guys what to say?" Tuffnut asked.

"No!" Everyone yelled.

"My sandstorm is more powerful than it's ever been before," said Wartihog. "I bet I could even beat Hiccup if we fought again."

"Want to put that to the test?" Hiccup asked raising an eyebrow.

Fortunately Wartihog was saved by the bell when Stoick and Valka approached them

"Good work everyone," said Stoick.

"Hi Dad, Mum," said Hiccup.

"It appears that you have all trained very hard to prepare for the Grand Magic Games," said Stoick,

Ruby wasn't entirely sure about that, but said nothing.

"Right now I would like everybody to join me inside," said Stoick.

* * *

A few seconds later everyone was inside the Guildhall and Stoick looked over them.

"Listen up, it's time to announce the fire that will be representing _Dragon Tail_ in the Grand Magic Games," said Stoick.

Everyone stood up straight and paid attention.

"Hiccup," said Stoick.

"Thanks, Dad," Hiccup smiled.

"Ragnar."

"I'm honoured," said Ragnar humbly.

"Astrid."

"I won't let you down," Astrid promised.

"I'm not surprised that those three were chosen," said Valka smiling.

"Who will get the last two spots?" Adelaide wondered.

"The suspense is killing me," said Heather.

"And the remaining two will be… Ruby and Merrill!"

Both Ruby and Merrill just stared at him dumbfounded and slightly scared. Snotlout on the other hand was extremely upset.

"Oh, come on!" he yelled.

Some of the other members of the Guild filters if they had been cheated.

"Seriously? Those two?" said Wartihog.

"Have to admit that a bit of a surprise," said Heather.

Merrill rushed up to Stoick. "But I'm not a fighter, Master. Can't you pick Alvin or Eret for the team instead?" Merrill pleaded.

"I don't really have that option, because neither of them has come back yet," he said.

"I don't see anything wrong with it," said Hiccup. "After all we were chosen for our individual strength, but our combined strength as a team. So I say that we've given our all!"

Ruby nodded feeling much better after hearing that. "Right. Good point."

Merrill was also cheered up. "Yeah, I will do my very best."

"Strength is important, but heart is even more important," said Valka looking at them. "Just remember that true power does not come from strength, but from feelings."

"Couldn't have said it better myself," said Ragnar.

"All right team, the Grand Magic Games presents the perfect opportunity for us to reclaim the number one spot," said Astrid looking at everyone. "Today, _Sabretooth_ is considered to be Septems number one Guild. Let us take that title, Dragon Tail will be the top Guild again!"

Everyone then cheered at the top of their voices.

"Those other competitors better watch out, because were gonna take the Grand Magic Games by storm," said Hiccup.

* * *

The next day they made they were in the capital city of Crocus. It was the largest city and probably the most majestic out of all the cities within Septem. This was where the Royal family resided inside the power switch rested in the centre of the city.

On one side of the Colosseum where the grand magic games were going to be held and there were large statues scattered around the city. Due to the many flowers that were scattered all across the capital it was also known as the _Flower-Blooming Capital_.

Today due to the Grand Magic Games beginning the entire city was ecstatic as members from all around the kingdom gathered around for the games. Unfortunately, Hiccup and the others haven't fully recovered from their little experience with unlocking their Second Origin.

"I can't believe I still feel so horrible," Merrill groaned.

"I really hope that whole _Second Origin Unleashing_ _Spell_ wasn't some kind of sick joke to make us lose the contest," said Ragnar.

"If it was it was in poor taste," said Hiccup.

"I do sort of feel as if I have more magic power," Ruby admitted. "Everything else in my body feels like I got hit by a train."

"Chin up, there's no time for whining," said Astrid, who apparently wasn't suffering from the side effects of the spell.

"Why are you feeling death on a cracker?" Ruby frowned.

"My guess is she's always had her Second Origin," said Ragnar.

"That makes perfect sense."

"This is the first time step foot in the capital," said Hiccup looking around. "It's gigantic."

"Got that right," said Toothless.

"I've never seen a place so big," said Merrill in warner. "Mind you we elves don't often see the large cities out in the countryside."

"It certainly puts _Edolas'_ castle city to shame," Stormfly agreed.

"I see you finally made it," said Stoick with most of the Guild behind him.

"Dad?" said Hiccup surprised.

"We just now finished with the registration process," said Stoick with a slight chuckle. "Cerberus show everyone why the _Dragon Tail_ was the number one Guild in Septem."

Some of the citizens of the capital then noticed them.

"Hey it looks like the _Dragon Tail_ Guild is here!"

"Those clowns?"

"Well somebody's got to come in last place, right?"

They then laughed.

"So much of a nice warm welcome," said Hiccup.

"Come on! You guys finish in last place every single year!"

"Everybody knows that _Sabretooth_ is taking the top spot!"

"How about you tell us how you really feel?" said Hiccup rubbing the back of his head.

"If anyone wants to laugh they can do it all they want," said Stoick. "And don't forget that doing this for being the honour of Septems top ranked Guild. Our founding master rose from his internal slumber to save our lives so let's make him proud."

Everyone nodded.

"Now then we know that the games will begin tomorrow. But unfortunately we don't know what they'll be."

Hiccup frowned. "What?" He then looked at the other members. "I thought you guys did this every year?"

"Yeah, but the games change every year," said Mulch. "The year that Bucket was out they had an artist contest."

"I like eggs," said Bucket excitedly.

"And the year I decided to sit out there was a foot race," said Helga.

"They take the team score over a bunch of different contests to determine the winner," Ingrid explained.

"They like to mix it up," said Fishlegs. "I looked through records from the previous games and there's no real consistency to them."

"Makes sense," said Hiccup folding his arms. "The number one Guild should be able to handle any kind of situation. Guess this means we'll have to play by ear."

Astrid was still concerned about what Jellal had said about Drago's presence being around during the Games.

"Astrid?" said Stoick which brought her out of her thoughts. "You all right?"

Astrid looked up. "I'm, sir."

Stoick didn't convinced, but then turned to Hiccup. "Son, I want you to go over the official rulebook by tomorrow," he said handing him a book.

"I'm to read all of this?" Hiccup blinked.

"Don't worry, I have my Wind-Reading Glasses with me," said Fishlegs pulling out his glasses.

"Fishlegs to the rescue," Ruby beamed.

Hiccup gave Fishlegs the book and he began to scan it quickly. "Hmm, okay. To sum it all up I would say there are three major rules. The first one is that the Master of each Guild isn't allowed to participate."

"Sounds sensible enough," said Stoick not looking surprised.

"And Guild can't have anybody that doesn't have their bear their respective emblem to take part on their behalf," Fishlegs continued.

"Kinda took that one is a given," said Ragnar.

"And every game will remain a mystery until the very moment it is announced and only then when the games rules will be explained in detail," said Fishlegs.

"That's certainly not very helpful," said Astrid.

"I suppose supposed it's to give everyone even footing and make sure that each team doesn't cheat," said Hiccup.

"Oh, this one could be important too," Fishlegs announced.

Everyone looked up.

"All participants must return to the designated inn by 12 o'clock," he read.

"There is a curfew," said Astrid surprised.

"What time again?" Ruby frowned.

"I suppose they mean midnight tonight," said Stormfly.

"Or what we all turn into pumpkins?" Ragnar asked folding his arms. "That reminds me of the story of the girl with the glass slipper."

Hiccup looked at the clock. "Well we're we got plenty of time before midnight. I suggest that we take in the sights and relax a little."

"Good plan," Ruby beamed.

"Just remember that we stain the Honey Bone Inn and to make sure that we all come back at 12 o'clock tonight," said Astrid looking at everyone.

* * *

Astrid decided to check out the Inn which they were staying at and found it to be quite nice. However, she noticed something unusual.

"For some reason six beds have been prepared?" she frowned. "Does this mean were all be sharing the same room?"

As much as Astrid wants to go out with Hiccup, she knew that this was probably the only chance she could had to spend a little time by herself. So she decided to have a nice bathroom to prepare her weapons for the Games.

She also gave the room a very good look around as she was still quite puzzled about the curfew and why they have to be in their respective Inns at that precise time, but she found nothing out of the ordinary.

* * *

Meanwhile everyone was enjoying a nice day out in the capital. Fishlegs had managed to ditch Helga and Ingrid and was spending the day with Ruby. Merrill and Stormfly were exploring the city looking at all the sites.

* * *

Ragnar meanwhile was walking down the streets looking for a place to eat in the evening sun.

"Fancy meeting you here," said a voice behind.

Ragnar turned and saw Heather much to his surprise. "Hey, didn't expect to see you. You came all this way by yourself?"

"I'm not the only one silly," said Heather shaking her head. "The entire Guild came to cheer you on."

"I guess nobody is busy taking on any jobs, huh?" said Ragnar.

"Would you think of you and I going to get a bite to eat somewhere?" Heather asked awkwardly.

Ragnar smiled. "Yeah, sure."

"Lucky for you I know the perfect restaurant not too far from here," said Lyon's voice directly behind them.

Heather and Ragnar immediately turned around and saw Lyon standing behind a.

"Lyon?" Ragnar stared.

Lyon then immediately grabbed Heather and led her away. "It's quite romantic actually. Complete with an aquarium filled with beautiful creatures from the sea."

"Yeah, well…" said Heather completely dumbstruck.

"Hey, you can't just go running away with one of our guild members!" Ragnar yelled indignantly.

Lyon stopped in his tracks. "Rumour has it that you're entering the Grand Magic Games, right?" he said looking back at him.

"Yeah," said Ragnar with a raised eyebrow.

"It's no use, for _Thor's Hammer_ will surely emerge as the victor," said Lyon.

"I thought you guys always came in second place?"

Lyon turned on him. "And your guild always comes in last place, but this year will be different for us because Jura and I will be participating in the games for the very first time. That means we're be stronger than ever before."

"Well, we happen a few aces in the hole ourselves known as Hiccup Haddock and Astrid Hofferson, not to mention me. So, don't count us out of the race just yet."

"Let's make a friendly wager," said Lyon calming down slightly. "If _Thor's Hammer_ wins the Grand Magic Games this year, then the beautiful Heather will become part of our guild."

Ragnar and Heather immediately stared at him.

"Are you serious?" they both said in unison.

Ragnar then raise an eyebrow decided to humour him. "And what if we win?"

"If your guild wins we'll give her back," he said simply.

"She's already a member of our guild you bonehead!"

Looked as if he hadn't heard him. "This is a gentleman's agreement so don't forget it Ragnar."

Ragnar was utterly furious. "This has got to be the most absolutely stupid that I've ever heard!"

"The words of a man afraid to lose," Lyon smirked.

Ragnar merely narrowed his eyes. "I ain't afraid, I just don't like treating Heather like some kind of trophy."

Heather was looking between the two of them as if watching a ping-pong match. She then felt her cheeks growing warm and Ragnar's words.

* * *

Meanwhile at the inn, Astrid was now in her pyjamas and was relaxing on her bed. She was still quite troubled with what Jellal had mentioned about Drago's presence and wondered what could have been the source.

However she was soon pulled out of her thoughts when she saw that Olatrand was standing in front of her and immediately screamed.

"Your fragrant parfum is as intoxicating as I remember," he said and he began to sniff her perfume that Hiccup had given her for her birthday.

"You need to respect my privacy!" she yelled and literally kicked him out of the inn. "Got it!"

Olatrand was kicked so hard that he fell off the balcony and landed on the streets outside. She then took a deep breath and tried to relax.

Unfortunately, Olatrand hadn't come alone and the _Trimens_ had accompanied him.

"You're so beautiful when you're angry," said Cavin.

"We didn't come here to make you feel better. So don't get the wrong idea," said Arvin.

"Would you like to freshen up?" Feralan asked handing her a towel.

"Need I remind you I've already got a boyfriend? So why don't you follow your dwarven friend?" Astrid yelled and then kicked them out of the inn with all her strength.

* * *

A couple of kids were playing around holding a lei necklace, but then a dark shadow cast over them. They looked up and immediately ran away screaming.

This really was understandable considering that they were looking at _Raven Tail_ , who were being led by a man in full armour. Then the man in full armour stepped upon the lei necklace.

They won the only guild in town, because also there were Blazing Fenrir and the new guild _Valkyrie Sword_. Tensions were beginning to rise as the Games soon approached.

* * *

Later that night, Merrill and Stormfly were still looking around the city.

"Isn't that beautiful, Stormfly?" Merrill asked beaming.

"Breathtaking," Stormfly agreed.

They were looking directly at the palace which was gigantic to say the least.

"They call it _Yggdrasil_ no doubt because of all the flowers that grow around here," said Merrill looking at the guidebook.

"Looking at it makes me wonder what the king is like," said Stormfly.

Unbeknownst the two of them that imply creature from _Raven Tail_ was looking down at them with a mysterious smile that rivalled that the twins.

* * *

Meanwhile Ruby was with Fishlegs and the two of them with wearing lei necklace.

"It's really amazing how many flowers there are in this city don't you think?" said Ruby.

"I've never seen so many in my entire life," Fishlegs nodded.

Then suddenly they heard a slight commotion not too far away.

"What was that?" Fishlegs frowned.

"I don't know. Let's find out," said Ruby.

The immediately ran towards where a large crowd was standing. They kept on pushing their way through the cloud and then to their horror they saw two elves beating down some thugs. They knew that the thugs probably started the fight, but this was a little too brutal even for them.

The two elves were none other than Sting and Rogue and with them with their Exceed partners. Sting looked as if he wanted to fight some more.

"Anybody else want some," Sting challenged.

"Man, these guys are nothing but a bunch of losers," said Hookfang.

"That's putting it mildly," said Skull.

"Hey, what's going on?" said Ruby staring at them.

Sting and Rogue turned to face and then noticed the _Dragon Tail_ emblem on her wrist.

"Well, well, if it isn't _Dragon Tail_ ," Sting smiled.

"Yeah, that's us," said Fishlegs.

"You have a lot of nerve showing no way you're not wanted," said Rogue. "Your guild comes in last every single year in the Games.

"Last time I checked any guild has a right to take part in the games," Ruby glared.

"Then why did you save us the trouble of beating you down and thought that right now," Sting smirked.

"Who do you guys think you are?" Fishlegs yelled.

"Sting Holywing and Rogue Darkshadow, the Twin Dragons of _Sabretooth_ ," said a voice.

Everyone turned and saw people were parting to allow Hiccup and Toothless through.

"Wait, these guys are members of _Sabretooth_ ," Ruby stared.

"They're more than that," said Hiccup. "Their _Dragon Slayers_."

"Hiccup," Sting smiled.

"It's been a long time, Sting. Last time I saw you were this high," said Hiccup gesturing Sting's height.

"Hiccup you know this guy?" Ruby stared.

"I should, I did train him nine years ago," said Hiccup folding his arms.

There were many gasps as everyone stared.

"A great shame to me," said Sting looking at him mockingly. "After all you're _Dragon Slayer_ that couldn't actually slay a dragon. Doesn't sound like much of a _Dragon Slayer_ to me. I used to look up to you and my friend here used to look up to Eret."

"It was more of a curiosity as he was known as a fellow _Dragon Slayer_ ," said Rogue.

"Seriously more _Dragon Slayers_ ," Fishlegs stared.

"We'd prefer it if you call us _True Dragon Slayers_ instead, because unlike your pathetic _Dragon Slayers_ we could have easily slain Acnologia," said Sting.

"Well you'd be telling a different story if you actually got up against that monster like we did," Ruby glared.

"Yeah, you won't even there," said Toothless.

Hookfang smirked looking at Toothless. "This pussycat sound as tough as he looks."

"I'd be careful what you say, Hookfang," Skull advised.

"It doesn't matter whether we were there or not," said Rogue.

"What it boils down to is that with far superior," said Hiccup.

"Let me explain a little something to you," said Hookfang as he took a step forward. "Hiccup and those other two out what's known as First-Generation Dragon Slayers, because they all got their magic power directly from dragons first-hand. Your old buddy Alvin, your mummy and that guy Cobra from the _Oración Seis_ got their magic from Dragon Lacrimas that was implanted in their bodies, we call them Second-Generation Dragon Slayers. But Sting and Rouge here are way more powerful, because not only do they have Dragon Lacrimas inside and they were also raised by actual dragons who taught them how to use their magic so their Third-Generation hybrids."

Fishlegs eyes widened. "Third-Generation?"

"In other words they are the ultimate _Dragon Slayers_ ," Hookfang smirked.

"I thought I told you that arrogance is the enemy," said Hiccup looking at Sting.

"Is not arrogant when it's true," said Hookfang. "There's a huge skill difference between First and Third-Generation. You wish you were half as strong as they are."

Hiccup looked at Sting. "When you were a child I asked what happened to your dragon, you didn't want to answer. I assumed that you were still traumatised from your loss, but now that you're old perhaps you can tell me if your dragon disappeared in the year 782?"

"Yeah, you could say that," said Sting.

"More to the point they died," said Rogue. Hiccup eyes widened. "The creatures that passed down their _Dragon Slaying Magic_ techniques to us, we eliminated them with our own hands so that we can earn the title as _True Dragon Slayers_."

Ruby looked disgusted. "I don't believe it. You killed them?"

"Is that really true?" said Toothless horrified.

Hiccup was now furious. "Now I know why you didn't tell me!" he roared glaring at Sting. "You knew that I would never train you if I knew the truth! Those where you're Masters!"

* * *

Later that night, everyone, minus Merrill and Stormfly, returned back to the end and found an inpatient Astrid sitting on the bed. She wasn't too pleased to find that they were late, it was now way past 11:30.

"Explain yourself," she said. "Where have you been all this time?"

"Having a completely unenjoyable meal," Ragnar grumbled.

"We ran into a couple contestants a real nasty pair you ask me," said Ruby. She then looked at Hiccup. "One of whom used to be under Hiccup's tutelage."

They then began to explain about the meeting with Sting and Rogue.

Astrid looked up. "You mentioned that the _Oración Seis_ were tracking down an elven boy, who happened to be a young Dragon Slayer… was he?"

Hiccup nodded. "Yep, that was him. I was grateful for them saving me that I offered to give young Sting some pointers. Mostly the basis of _Dragon Slaying Magic_ and some swordsmanship skills, he had a lot of potential. He never mentioned that he killed the dragon that taught him and apparently everything I've taught him has blown out of the window since he joined the _Sabretooth_ Guild."

"Yeah, his arrogance is worse than Snotlout," Ruby agreed.

"Do any of you know where Merrill ran off to?" Astrid asked.

"Uh, no," said Ruby noticing for the first time that Merrill was nowhere to be found.

"I haven't seen," Ragnar frowned.

"Nor have I," said Hiccup.

"It's a pretty safe bet that she's off somewhere with Stormfly and really not like her to get lost," said Toothless.

It was now five minutes to midnight and there was still no sign of Merrill which didn't bode well for them.

"It's almost midnight," said Astrid troublingly.

Then suddenly the bedroom door opened and Snotlout and Adelaide made their way inside carrying some food and drinks.

"We brought some supplies to get you through the tournament," said Snotlout.

"Tomorrow is going to be a big day," Adelaide smiled.

"Ah, thanks a lot guys," said Ragnar.

"I take it that you came all the way here to watch us beat up those other guilds," said Hiccup.

"Yeah, though personally I still wish that I was taking part," Snotlout grumbled. "Guess I'm stuck on the sidelines so I might as well cheer you on."

"Do you mind doing is a small favour?" Astrid asked looking at Adelaide.

"What you need?" she asked.

"Well it's just that Merrill hasn't made it back here for tonight as of yet."

"And those of us competing in the game should probably hang out here until its 12 o'clock," Ragnar added.

"Though I doubt you have much time to search," said Hiccup looking at the clock. "It's just a few minutes before midnight."

"What happened at twelve?" Adelaide asked.

"We're not really sure what, but the rules say that we all have to be back here at midnight," said Ragnar honestly. Then suddenly the clock struck midnight. "Which is right now."

"Told you we didn't had time to search," said Hiccup.

At first nothing happened, but then they heard a voice outside.

"Attention all contestants participating in this year's Grand Magic Games! Good morning!" a voice called out.

"Outside," said Astrid.

They quickly rushed outside and saw a holographic image of a ginger haired dwarf with a thick stubble.

"In some kind of hologram," said Ruby.

"Must be the referee," said Toothless.

"To all those who do not know me, I am Minbor Gherrin, the referee to the Grand Magic Games! Of informing all contestants of the walls and to make sure that everyone follows them," said the dwarf. "Now to narrow down 113 guilds in this year's games to a more manageable eight, let's begin the preliminary rounds!"

"Seriously?" said Ragnar.

"Well, this is news," said Astrid.

All the other contestants were listening to Minbor equally confused.

"As there been a preliminary round in years past?" Olatrand asked.

Feralan shook his head. "No. This is completely new."

"So this must be the reason why we were acquired to take our places at midnight," said Lyon.

"113 guilds now down to a meagre eight in one fell swoop," said Jura.

Back in their room Ruby couldn't believe how many guilds there were in Septem. In her opinion that number was far too high.

Astrid was also troubled as she wondered why they cut the preliminary round a secret. The excessive number of guilds combined with what troubled Jellal could have been a coincidence. The real question is what the organisers were planning.

"The reason for this change is because the amount of guilds has increased over the years. Also it is to make the games even more exciting and more invigorating for us to watch them," said Minbor. "The role is for this preliminary round is simple."

Then suddenly the entire in shock and was raised up into the air much to the surprise of _Dragon Tail_.

"What the?" Ragnar stared.

"What's happening?" Astrid yelled. She then noticed what was going on. "The Inn is rising up."

It wasn't just them.

"Look!" Ragnar pointed as more inn rose up into the air. "The other ones are doing it too."

"Now you'll all be participating in a race," Minbor announced. "The finish line is at the Coliseum. Only the first eight teams to reach the finish line will move on to the Grand Magic Games!"

Then suddenly they saw pathways appearing in front of all the inns.

"That's a path," Ragnar stared.

"I suppose we'll be following it," Astrid assumed.

Minbor then continued to explain the rules. "You are free to use magic in any way you see fit. There are no restrictions, but remember only the first eight teams to reach the finish line will clear this round. However, all five team members must cross the finish line to account."

Hiccup and the others widen their eyes in horror, because they were minus one teammate.

"One more thing," Minbor added. "We are not responsible for any loss of life that may occur in the labyrinth."

"Say what?" Hiccup gasped.

They then looked up and saw a massive spear appearing overhead and other pathways all met up towards it.

"So without further ado, let the Grand Magic Games preliminary round, Sky Labyrinth, began!"


	31. Sky Labyrinth

Hiccup and the others were looking up at the labyrinth above them as Minbor announced the beginning of the preliminary round.

"Well if it's a race then we better get moving," said Ragnar.

"We can't," said Hiccup. "Remember the rules state that all _five_ members of the team must cross the finish line in order to win. That means we can't leave without Merrill."

Everyone stared at him horrified.

"You're right," Ruby gasped.

"What are we going to do now?" Astrid asked.

"Why wait for a little girl when you got me," said Snotlout.

Then suddenly without warning Snotlout grabbed the four them and began running up the steps towards the labyrinth.

"We've got a route change!" he yelled.

"He's definitely stronger now," said Toothless.

Adelaide stirred up at him. "What are you doing, bro?"

"He's doing what needs to be done!" Ragnar yelled. "We don't have time to wait around for Merrill to show up!"

"Snotlout to the rescue!" Astrid yelled.

"You guys leave it to me!" Snotlout smirked.

Hiccup looked back at Adelaide. "Adelaide! Toothless!"

"Yeah?" Adelaide asked.

"What is it?" Toothless asked.

"I need you two to go look for Merrill and Stormfly!" Hiccup yelled back. "I'm really worried that they might have run into some kind of trouble!"

"Okay, we'll go ask around town and see what we can find out!" Adelaide yelled.

"Good luck!" Toothless yelled.

The other contestants were now making their way up the path and removing as quickly as they could towards the labyrinth. Snotlout eventually put the five of them down and Astrid had transformed back into a normal attire. They then continue to make their way up to the labyrinth.

"We're getting close to the entrance," said Ragnar.

"Our first step to be number one in Septem," said Hiccup leading the others. "We're taking that title right _Team Dragon Tail_?"

"Oh yeah!" they all yelled.

* * *

Eventually they made their way into the labyrinth and found that it was completely bonkers. It looks like some sort of 3-D art that went wrong and there was no clear passageway that they should take.

"Whoa, it's like a crazy three-dimensional maze," said Ragnar.

"It hard to tell from up to down," said Hiccup.

"Whatever we need to make sure that we finish in the top eight otherwise we can kiss the title of number one in Septem goodbye," said Ruby.

"Then we best get started, but we better be fast," said Hiccup.

"Then let's make sure we reach the goal before anyone else does," said Ragnar.

"We should never accept anything less than first place!" Snotlout roared.

"When we were on the ground the Coliseum was to be east I think we should head to that direction," said Astrid.

"I've got just the thing to help us out," said Ruby and then pulled out a silver key which base resembled that of a circle and the teeth that of an arrow. " _Open! Gate of the Compass!_ _Pyxis!_ "

Suddenly appearing in front of them was a crimson coloured penguin with a compass on its head.

"We need your help Pyxis, can you please tell us which way is east?" Ruby asked.

Pyxis squawked excitedly and the needle on his head began spinning around into pointing to a certain direction.

"East is that way!" Ruby beamed pointing east.

"Yes, I know," said Hiccup tiredly. He then held out the compass of his own. "Because I along a regular compass."

Ruby was completely embarrassed. "Thanks for the help, Pyxis."

Pyxis squawked depressingly and then vanished.

Then using Hiccup compass they began running up the staircase.

"Okay guys let's move it," said Astrid.

"Let's charge straight towards the goal!" Snotlout yelled.

"Not to be a downer, but with the way this place is laid out I don't think we'll be able to go straight east," said Ruby.

"We're going to have a hard enough time trying to figure out which way is up," said Ragnar.

* * *

They soon found themselves in another room which was very disturbing. It was a like a spiral picture and looking at it made them dizzy.

"What the?" Ragnar stared.

"Whoa, I'm getting dizzy from just looking at it," Snotlout groaned.

"Yeah, I feel like I'm going to fall right in," said Ruby.

"We're wasting time, let's go," said Astrid and they ran down the corridor.

"Just try not to focus on it," said Hiccup.

"Yeah, but how long is this creepy tunnel?" Ruby asked.

"Like it matters so long as that goes at the end of it," said Snotlout.

He then rushed towards a door and opened it only to find that it was on the edge of a platform. He started a losing pounds and would have fallen to the ground if Ragnar hadn't caught him in time.

"Don't worry I've got you," said Ragnar pulling him back.

"Thanks, that was a close one," said Snotlout.

"Remember to look before you leap," said Ragnar.

"We could have lost you," said Ruby looking at him. "When he mentioned about possible loss of life he wasn't bluffing."

"Watch your step, because I don't think anyone would survive a fall like that," said Hiccup.

"Yeah, we need to be more careful about choosing apart from now on," Ragnar agreed.

"When going to reach the goal if we keep looking down, we need to keep by heading east," said Snotlout.

Astrid then noticed that Hiccup was scribbling something down in his notebook.

"What are you doing, Hiccup?" Astrid asked.

"Making a map of the way we came," said Hiccup.

"You think going to be any good in a place like this?" Ruby asked.

"No harm in trying," said Hiccup.

"I don't suppose you can sniff out the exit," said Ragnar looking at him.

Hiccup shook his head. "Already tried, but I suspect that some sort of magic around this place that prevents those with sensory type magic powers from finding the exit."

"If that's true then the conditions are the same for everyone so let's keep moving," said Astrid.

* * *

All around Crocus everyone was staring up at the labyrinth cheering on their favourite teams. However, Adelaide and Toothless had more pressing matters than looking up at the labyrinth.

"What do you mean Merrill is gone?" Gustav stared.

"Hang on, are you saying she's missing?" said Sven.

"We can't find her or Stormfly," said Toothless.

"Don't the rules say that each teams got to have five members," said Gustav. "Don't tell me they've been disqualified."

Adelaide shook her head. "No. Luckily my brother stepped in as a last-minute replacement."

"Snotlout is in the preliminary round too?" said Sven.

"That's not fair!" Gustav yelled furiously. "If I'd been there they would have chosen me to join the team not that arrogant dummy!"

"Uh, yeah sure," said Toothless sceptically.

"Toothless and I asked going to start looking for them," said Adelaide. "I need you two to go and tell the others. We'll have a better chance of finding them if we split into teams and use Speedfist's telepathy."

"This city is huge so we got a lot of ground to cover," said Toothless.

"Got it," Gustav nodded. He then looked at the labyrinth. "I'm worried, I hope they haven't run into any sort of trouble."

"Yeah, me too," Sven agreed. "So try not to dwell on it and let's hurry and get back to the others so we can fill them in."

"Right," Gustasv nodded.

* * *

At the labyrinth, Hiccup and the others were still trying to make their way eastwards and Ruby took over from Hiccup with creating a map so that he could focus on navigation.

"East is in that direction," said Hiccup pointing.

"This maze is harder to map out the than I thought it be," said Ruby.

"Well, what you expect when everything around you looks the same," said Ragnar.

"Hiccup," said Astrid looking at Hiccup.

"Yes, I heard it to," Hiccup nodded.

The others just stared at them and then suddenly they heard voices approaching them.

"You're the one that told us to go this way you little runt!"

"Don't try and blame this on me!"

"I don't care whose fault it is all I know is that we've been here before!"

"That's what I'm saying! We're going around in circles!"

"Just shut up and keep moving! We're running out of time!"

"I almost forgot," said Snotlout.

"It's been so quiet it's easy to forget that there are other guilds in here," said Ragnar.

Then suddenly emerging from the door they saw none other than _Twilight Ogre_. In fact it was the same thugs that wrecked their Guild.

"You've got to be kidding me," said Tabor.

"You again," said the dwarf.

"It's the _Dragon Tail_ Guild," said the elf.

"Is this some kind of joke?" said the shirtless human.

"Not those clowns," Snotlout grumbled.

They wouldn't forget what _Twilight Ogre_ did to Gobber and the others forcing them to pay out. They thought they settled matters with them when Stoick sorted things out with the guild master. Of course, by settle things, they meant beat down the guild to a pulp forcing them to back off.

"Well, I see your Guild is just as shoddy as ever," Tabor snarled.

The dwarf laughed. "Your lame!"

"I'm surprised to see you losers in the tournament," said Ragnar.

"You've got no right to call us losers! You're the guilt that always comes dead last!" Tabor reminded.

"And you got beaten by so what does that make you?" Hiccup smirked.

"Why you," Tabor snarled as he drew his bludgeon.

"Whoa, hold on a sec," said Ruby looking at them. "You want a fight is right here?"

"Why not, we can use magic without restrictions," the elf sneered. "I don't blame you for being scared."

"You _Dragon Tail_ punks are going down," said Tabor.

"These guys will never learn," said Ragnar taking up a fighting stance.

"Let's make this quick guys," said Hiccup as he drew _Inferno_.

"We are really going through with this?" Ruby asked looking at them.

"The fewer rivals the better our chances," said Astrid as she drew her axe.

"Yeah, you got a good point Astrid," Ruby nodded.

"You're going to pay for making us look bad in front of the boss," said the elf as they all charged towards them.

"Let's polarise them!" said the shirtless human.

"You're going to be crying for mercy when we get done with you!" said the dwarf.

Hiccup ignited _Inferno_ and looked at them. "We don't have time to mess with you."

"Because we've got to take down Sabretooth," said Ragnar as ice formed in his hands.

"To be number one of Septem," Snotlout finished flexing his muscles.

Tabor immediately backed down instead of them horrified. "No way."

Immediately the three boys struck them with our magic power sending them flying and right out of the labyrinth. Immediately they heard the alarm and then the entire labyrinth shock. Suddenly without warning the labyrinth began to slightly.

"What now?" Astrid asked.

"The entire labyrinth the shifting," said Hiccup.

"This is not good," said Ruby almost falling off.

"Hold on," said Ragnar grabbing her hand.

"Would have been nice if they want us about this," said Hiccup.

Then suddenly they heard something that sounded a lot like an alarm and then the platform that Hiccup tilted sideways causing him to fall off it and Ruby lost her grip on Ragnar's hand and she fell as well. Fortunately it wasn't only then that had fallen off but other guilds were falling from the labyrinth.

* * *

The entire scene could be witnessed from the ground.

"Whoa, what's happening to it?" Gustav stared.

"I don't know, but it can't be good," said Sven.

* * *

Toothless and Adelaide could see the dilemma as well as they ran past.

"Uh-oh," said Toothless as he saw members of guilds falling out of the labyrinth. "Adelaide look!"

"They're dropping like flies," Adelaide stared. "Oh no, if they fall they'll be disqualified."

"Not good," said Toothless. "Let's just hope they're able to hold onto something."

* * *

Astrid managed to grab her platform as did Ragnar and Snotlout. However, Hiccup and Ruby were still falling and were almost outside of the labyrinth.

"It's turning on its X-axis," said Astrid.

"Hear that we've got to move to the side you guys!" Ragnar yelled.

"We would, but already falling!" Ruby yelled.

"I've got this!" Hiccup yelled.

He then created a massive fiery hand and then launched grabbing all the side platforms. He then swung himself towards Ruby and grabbed her. The two of them then lived beneath the platform and landed upon it, Hiccup was able to make a perfect landing, but Ruby fell on her butt.

"Thanks Hiccup, but you think you can be a bit smooth on the landings?" Ruby asked rubbing her rear end.

"Better that then landing on the pavement over 100 feet," said Hiccup helping her up.

"Are you okay over there?" Ragnar asked.

"We're good!" Hiccup and Ruby yelled.

"It stopped moving," Astrid noted.

"I don't know who came up with this contraption, but they're pretty messed up in the head," Ragnar grunted.

"I'm not surprised by the confusing way the labyrinth is designed," said Astrid honestly. "It's designed to narrow down over 100 down to eight."

Ragnar looked over the edge and saw that several teams had already been eliminated. Fortunately, magic circles appeared beneath them preventing them from falling to their death.

"Looks like that last move was enough to get rid of a lot of," Ragnar noted.

Astrid then saw something lining on her feet and bent over. She discovered that it was the map that _Twilight Ogre_ made on their way.

"What's that?" Ruby asked as she made her way over towards her. "Did those jerks make a map too?"

"It appears they have," said Astrid.

"Talk about a lucky break," Ragnar smiled. "If we combine our map with _Twilight Ogre's_ then we have an even better map of this place."

Astrid then put on an evil smile.

Tabor, who remarkably managed to hang onto the edge looked at them. "Hey! What do you think you're doing?" he said struggling to get back onto the platform.

"Oh, does this belong to you?" Astrid asked waving the map around.

"Yeah, now give it back," Tabor demanded.

Astrid then kicked him off the ledge. "Not going to happen."

Ruby was now completely creeped out by the way the others were looking.

"How about that, I just figured out how we're going to get ahead in the preliminaries," Astrid grinned evilly.

"Whoa, what with the creepy looking your eye?" Ruby asked quivering slightly.

* * *

A few moments later, they suddenly gone a bit of a rampage knocking more contestants out of the preliminaries and grabbing their maps of the same time.

"It may not be nice, but we know what we've got to do," said Hiccup placing his hands together for plasma blast and not have another team.

"We've got to start stealing everyone else's maps," said Ragnar unleashing his eyes on another team.

"This is a battle for survival of the fittest," said Snotlout as he knocked aside some more contestants.

"I'll take this," said Astrid grabbing the map of another group of contestants that she took down with her blades.

"Nice going team, we've got six maps," said Hiccup.

"I don't want to sound stupid, but I've got no idea how I'm supposed to read this damn thing," said Snotlout.

"This kind of thing is Ruby's specialty. Let's ask her," said Ragnar.

"And while she is figuring out we gather more maps and soon will be the winners circle," said Hiccup.

Ruby just stared at them bewildered as they handed her their maps of those they took from the other contestants.

"Me?"

"Good luck," Astrid smiled before she joined the others.

"Uh, thanks," said Ruby slightly bewildered.

She then watch as the others continue to take down the other guilds with the greatest of ease.

"I've already got three of them so far," Snotlout smirked as he tossed another competitor away.

Astrid was in her _Night Fury Armour_ and took down several competitors at once. "Not bad, but I've got seven."

"It's not a competition!" Hiccup yelled unleashing a powerful stream of fire.

"Yeah, but what we're competing in is a competition," Ragnar pointed out as he unleashed a powerful burst of ice.

"Yeah, but not against each other."

Ruby looked down at one of the following competitors with an apologetic look. "I'm so sorry," she said.

"No you're not," he groaned.

They then heard the alarm once again.

"It's going to move again!" Ragnar yelled.

"Hurry and grab onto something!" Hiccup yelled.

Seconds later the entire labyrinth began to move once again and immediately they grabbed hold of anything they could get their hands on. Everyone then watched as more members of guilds were tossed off the labyrinth and eliminated from the Games. Eventually it stopped moving much to the relief of everyone.

"It stopped moving," said Snotlout.

"Then let's get back down to business," said Hiccup.

* * *

Meanwhile the other members of _Dragon Tail_ starting to look for Merrill and Stormfly.

"What's up, Wartihog?" Ruffnut asked as Wartihog ran up to her, Speedfist and her brother.

"Have any luck?" Tuffnut asked.

"I'm afraid not," said Wartihog. "You would think that a little elven girl and her talking cat would be conspicuous, but no one seen them."

"Yeah, it's weird," Speedfist agreed. "It's not like Merrill and Stormfly to just wander off like that."

"We need to hurry and find them, because I'm sure the team is concerned," said Wartihog. "It's got to be hard to focus on the race."

"Hey, did you guys find anything Speedfist?" Adelaide asked through Speedfist's telepathy.

"Nope, not even a single lead," he said. "We've scoured every inch of Crocus, but haven't seen hide nor hair of them. The only place where left is the Royal Palace."

Toothless' eyes widened. "That reminds me."

Adelaide looked at him. "What is it?"

"Earlier today Stormfly mentioned something going on sightseeing tour of the city with Merrill," he said as they turn towards the Palace.

"Well, in that case maybe they are at the palace."

"There's only one way to find out," said Toothless.

"Let's go," said Adelaide and they rushed towards the Palace.

* * *

Meanwhile Ruby had looked at all the maps they had collected in order to get a good feel for the labyrinth, but that was a lot easier said than done.

"I feel like there's no point in trying to head east from the surface of the labyrinth," she said. "We're just going to end up running around in circles, because the stupid thing keep rotating."

"Is that why you brought us to the centre of it instead?" Snotlout asked.

"Yeah, I thought that it was going to be easier to find east from here, but apparently I was wrong," said Ruby.

They had managed to find their way into the centre of the map which was a giant sphere with a nice country setting inside it.

"Who would have for that we would find a nice peaceful landscape in the centre of this monstrosity?" said Astrid looking around.

However, the peaceful setting was actually above their heads and they were standing on a platform that was looking down at the sky. Naturally the sky that they were looking at was not the real sky, but merely painted on so they would look like the real sky.

"It would be more peaceful if it was an upside down," Ragnar pointed out.

"If that wasn't strange enough it would appear that there is no east or west anymore," said Hiccup holding up his compass with the needle spinning around aimlessly.

"Geez, even our compass is busy."

"This sucks, there's no telling which way were supposed to go," Snotlout grumbled.

"True, but we can't afford to stop moving either," said Astrid.

Ruby then smiled and then chuckled to herself. "Yes, I've been waiting for this moment."

"What's gotten into you?" Hiccup asked.

"I bet this crazy place got her brain of scrambled," said Snotlout.

"Nope, my brain is just fine," she said as he pulled out Pyxis' key. " _Open! Gate of the Compass! Pyxis!_ "

Suddenly appearing in front of them was Pyxis.

"Not that weird duck thing again," Snotlout grumbled.

Pyxis then immediately hit behind Ruby looking quite upset.

"Why does it look so scared?" Astrid asked.

"Hiccup's companies must have traumatised him," said Ruby patting Pyxis.

"I didn't mean to upset him," said Hiccup.

Ruby then looked down at Pyxis. "Okay, pal. Don't be scared, this is your time to shine. His compass is completely useless."

Pyxis looked up.

Astrid then snatched the compass off of Hiccup and showed it to him. "See, it keeps spinning."

"See, I told you we could really use your help right now," Ruby smiled.

"You have to excuse Hiccup, he meant no disrespect. So would you please assist us?" Astrid asked.

Pyxis then squawked eagerly.

Hiccup and Ragnar just roll their eyes.

"That's one simpleminded spirit," said Ragnar.

"Yeah, but he certainly smarter than Snotlout," said Hiccup.

"Hey!" Snotlout snapped.

Pyxis then began spinning his compass needle until it stopped pointing due east and then pointed in that direction.

"East is that way," Ruby pointed.

Unfortunately there were pointing up towards the nice country yard scene above them.

"One small problem that way is up" Ragnar pointed out.

"Great perfect," Hiccup groaned.

"So any ideas how were going to get up there?" Snotlout asked.

Hiccup then looked down at his watch. "Well, if my maths is right we should be heading down there in about 3, 2, 1…"

Then suddenly they heard the alarms going and the entire lab and began to rotate again. The good news was that now that they were inside they had no fear of being disqualified. Unfortunately, this would result them into crashing down onto the countryside below them.

Fortunately they managed to land on the river below them.

The moment they pulled themselves out of the river they began running towards due East as quickly as they could.

"Come on guys, we can't stick around and enjoy the scenery," said Hiccup.

"He's right, we're still in a race," Astrid agreed.

"And were gonna take place in the preliminary round!" Hiccup added.

"Oh, yeah!" they yelled in unison.

* * *

They kept on running as quickly as they could and found themselves running across a bridge over a vast ocean.

"How in the heck were they able to squeeze in ocean into this thing?" Snotlout asked.

"Who cares about that, how long is this freaking path?" Ruby yelled.

"It can't be that long the sky is only painted remember," said Ragnar pointing upwards.

"That means that this part must meet somewhere," said Hiccup.

"And that's got to be the goal," Snotlout finished.

"Okay team, it's time for one final sprint!" Hiccup ordered.

"Let's go!" they cried.

They then started to run even faster until the pathway reached a door which other big words 'GOAL' plastered over it.

* * *

Meanwhile Toothless and Adelaide had finally managed to reach the Palace and it was even larger at close in person.

"So this is the King of Septem's Palace?" Adelaide gasped.

"It's more oppressive up close," said Toothless.

"This is my first time I've ever seeing it."

"Yeah, me too."

They then started to make their way to the courtyard, but was stopped by the guards.

"Stop right there."

"Where do you think you're going? The grounds are closed."

"Sorry, we're just looking for Guild members who have gone missing," said Adelaide apologetically. "One of them was opposed to participate in the Grand Magic Games preliminary round."

"We searched all over Crocus and this is the only place left for us to check," Toothless added.

The guards looked at one another and then one of them leaned over to the other.

"Hey, just let them in," he whispered.

"What?" the guard stared. He then quickly came around. "Well, I guess there's no harm. His Majesty is looking forward to the Grand Magic Games so we certainly don't want anything to interfere with that."

The other guard and looked at them. "But don't go anywhere but in the castle courtyard."

"We won't," Toothless promised.

* * *

Speedfist had heard the entire conversation with his telepathy.

"You're kidding me?" he stared. "I can't believe it was that easy."

Wartihog looked at him. "So what's the story man?"

"The guard allowed Toothless and Adelaide inside the palace gates."

Wartihog stared at him. "How come those jerks never let me in?"

Toothless and Adelaide were making their way through the gardens keeping an eye out for either Merrill or Stormfly.

"I'm kind of surprised they let us in," said Toothless honestly.

"Well the Gardens have been over to tourists in the past just not this late at night," said Adelaide.

They soon came to a fork in the road.

"I think we should split and search," said Toothless.

"Good idea," Adelaide agreed. "We'll use Speedfist telepathy to keep in touch okay."

"You got it."

Speedfist, Wartihog and the twins were making their way towards the Palace.

"Got it," said Speedfist. "We're on our way to the Palace right now."

"I hope those two are okay," said Ruffnut.

"The games haven't even started yet and is already troubled," said Wartihog.

"Talk about a bad start," said Tuffnut.

* * *

Meanwhile Hiccup and the others had finally reached the goal and Minbor was there greeting them.

"Snotlout Jorgenson. Ruby Heartfull. Ragnar Keatson. Astrid Hofferson. And Hiccup Haddock," he said clapping. "Congratulations, _Team Dragon Tail_ you have cleared the preliminary round."

"We did it!" Hiccup cheered.

"Why do you sound so surprised? I knew we were going to make it." Ragnar smiled.

"I'm dying to know, did we come in first place?" Ruby asked eagerly looking at Minbor.

Minbor immediately looked at them slightly uncomfortable. "Well… no. More like 8th place." Immediately all of them looked at him crestfallen. "You just barely qualified."

"8th place!" they yelled in unison in frustration.

* * *

Meanwhile Adelaide was still trying to locate Merrill and Stormfly, but was having no luck and the same could be said for Toothless.

Then suddenly the hologram of Minbor appeared above them. "Attention, everyone! The eight teams have been determined! The Grand Magic Games preliminary round, Sky Labyrinth is over!"

Speedfist and the others saw the hologram.

"The _Dragon Tail_ make the cut?" Wartihog asked hopefully.

"Yeah, which killed on moving on to the tournament?" Speedfist asked.

"I'm afraid that those who are eagerly awaiting the results of the preliminary round will just have to wait!" Minbor announced. "All the teams taking part in the tournament will be announced at the Opening Ceremony!"

Suddenly his hologram vanished leaving them in quite a foul mood.

"Oh, come on!" Tuffnut groaned.

"Why don't you just tell us you kill joy?" Ruffnut yelled furiously.

* * *

Adelaide was still running through the gardens. "Sounds like the preliminary round is over. I wonder if our team made it through."

She then turned round the corner and saw Toothless just standing there.

"Toothless?" she stared. "Is there something wrong?"

"Look, I found this," said Toothless holding up Merrill's purse.

Adelaide's eyes widened. "That purse I seen it before."

"Yeah, that's because it's Merrill's and now I'm even more worried," he said handing the purse over to Adelaide. "What happened to them?"

"Just stay calm," said Adelaide softly. "They're probably not too far from here."

Toothless nodded. "You're right."

"Let's go."

They then started to make their way down the path unaware that the impolite creature from _Raven Tail_ was looking down snake slightly.

* * *

Speedfist then stopped in his tracks when Toothless and Adelaide sent him some news.

"Wait, you found them?" he said. "So they were at the palace. Are they all right?"

Toothless and Adelaide have found Merrill and Stormfly, but they were completely unconscious and looking very weak.

"I think so, it's hard to tell their unconscious," said Adelaide as she picked Merrill up. "Would you please send help as fast as possible?"

Toothless was shaking Stormfly trying to get her to wake up. "Wake up, Stormfly. It's me, Toothless."

"She doesn't seem to be injured," said Adelaide troublingly. "That's good, but I barely sent any magic power from her."

"Yeah, the same is for Stormfly," said Toothless looking deeply concerned. "Isn't there anything we can do?"

Merrill then opened her eyes.

"She's awake!"

"Maybe she can tell us what happened?"

"No," said Merrill shaking tremendously. "Don't hurt me!"

"It's okay, you're safe," said Adelaide calmly. "It Adelaide, do you recognise me?"

"I'm here as well," said Toothless.

Merrill looked at them weakly. "Toothless? Adelaide? What in the world… happened?"

"We were going to ask you the same thing," said Toothless. "You don't remember?"

Merrill shook her head. "No."


	32. New Guild

It was morning and everyone had gathered at the Coliseum as the Grand Magic Games were about to begin. The crowd was cheering, balloons were floating up into the air and you definitely feel the passion in the air.

"The big day, is finally here folks," said the announcer's voice. "The Grand Magic Games will be beginning shortly. This is going to be a year to remember!"

The entire crowd then began to cheer even how did that was at all possible. In fact it was so loud that Hiccup and his team could hear the cheers from their changing room.

"Wow, would you listen to background?" said Astrid.

"I didn't think they would be so many people watching," said Ruby.

"The city is full Vikings from all over the country of course folk want to see them in action," said Ragnar.

Hiccup and his team were wearing purple matching outfits with a guild emblem on them and Hiccup didn't like them much.

"Did it have to be purple?" he asked. "I'd prefer to wear my regular clothes than this."

"Purple or not, you just have to deal," said Ruby firmly. "Unless you would tell your mother while using the clothes she picked are lame."

"You won't hear me complaining, I think they're adorable," Astrid smiled.

Ragnar stared at her. "You know I think that's the first time that uses the word adorable."

Snotlout unfortunately could not say the same. "Uh… I don't really care about the colour, but I'm not wearing this," he said holding out Merrill's outfit.

"In fairness you were a last-minute substitute," Hiccup pointed out.

"I know and she should be standing here with the rest of you," Snotlout grumbled.

Everyone was quiet they all heard what happened Merrill and Stormfly.

"You think she'll be all right?" Snotlout asked.

* * *

It was later night when they heard about Merrill and immediately rushed to their medical wing.

"You found them?" said Hiccup as they rushed inside.

Merrill and Stormfly were in bed looking completely exhausted.

Hiccup looked at Toothless. "Where the heck were they?"

"Adelaide and I found them in the Palace Gardens," said Toothless.

Merrill then began to move and Hiccup bent down. "You with us?"

Merrill opened her eyes and then looked at them weakly. "Hiccup?"

"What happened out there?"

"It's all just a big blur. Sorry, I wish I could remember," she said weakly.

She then winced in pain.

"What's wrong?" Hiccup gasped.

"She appears to have Magic Deficiency Syndrome," said a voice behind them.

They turned and found, to the utter surprise, was Gothi standing at the doorway.

"Gothi?" Ruby gasped.

"Wait, what are you doing here?" Adelaide asked.

"Something wrong with cheering you on?" Gothi asked as she approached them.

"No ma'am," said Adelaide.

Gothi then smiled. "Calm down, I wasn't scolding you, child. Don't be so nervous I'm not going to eat you."

"Right," said Adelaide nervously.

Gothi then turned her sights onto Merrill. "I'm here because I was concerned. I heard what happened and thought that I might be of help." She then bent down to Merrill and Stormfly. "Now…"

She then placed a hand on Merrill's forehead.

"A moment ago, you mentioned Magic Deficiency Syndrome," said Astrid.

"Yes, it's a condition of weak physical strength brought on by an acute case of magic depletion," Gothi explained. "They both have nearly all of their magic power sucked out." She then looked at them. "Don't worry, they'll fully recover with enough bed rest."

"Who did this to you?" Hiccup asked bending down to Merrill.

"It's still a big blur for the most part," said Merrill weakly. "But I… I remember seeing a weird black animal."

She then remembered the black creature counting on her and immediately began to shake. She then curled up in her sheet and began to cry.

"Merrill," said Hiccup softly.

"Sorry, I let you down. I train so hard to help you and now… I'm just useless," she cried. Everyone remain quiet unsure on what to say. "Hey, Snotlout."

Snotlout looked up.

"Please take my place… win foe me," she said quietly.

Snotlout was slightly taken aback, but then smiled broadly. "Sure. You can count on me kid."

Gothi then looked at them. "All right, everybody needs to leave. They can't heal fthe can't get proper rest."

"Let's go," said Astrid placing a hand on Hiccup's shoulder. "There's nothing more we can do we might as well focus on the Grand Magic Games."

"You're right," said Toothless as they left. "That's the only way were going to become number one again."

Merrill was still crying as they shut the door behind them unable to look at them in the eyes.

"No need for the waterworks, child," said Gothi as she was preparing to medicine. "After all those ridiculous games go on for several days. I'm sure you get to participate once you're well." Merrill then stopped crying and then looked at. "And make no mistake you will recover now that I'm here. On my honour as a healer."

Merrill then began to smile. "Thanks for all your help, Grandeeney."

"Don't call me by that name," Gothi snapped.

Merrill just smiled.

* * *

Hiccup and the others were now standing at the entrance to the Coliseum as their team was about to be announced. Of course we're thought were upon Merrill's attacker.

"Chances are the person that attacked Merrill's taking part in the Games," said Hiccup.

"Does seem like a possibility," Ruby agreed.

"You've got to wonder too if they did it to weaken our team or some other reason," Ragnar frowned.

"Keep your eyes on the prize were now," said Snotlout, who was holding a flag with the emblem on it. "Winning this thing is best way to get revenge for Merrill."

In the commentary box the announcer was sitting right next to Johann. The announcer was an average looking human with black hair and looked more like someone you would see someone presenting the news.

"We are just moments away from the start of the Grand Magic Games folks," he said. "I'm Commentator Agnar Mastson and I'll be handling the play-by-play while former Councillor Johann provides commentary. Johann, glad to have you with us."

"It's a pleasure being here, Agnar," said Johann.

"And let's not forget our special guest, a member of the _Blue Pegasus_ and current holder of the title Miss Septem, the ravishing Ase Rosedotter," Agnar added.

Sitting next to Johann was a beautiful blonde haired human bearing the _Blue Pegasus_ emblem on her left shoulder. She was wearing a beautiful light purple dress and a hair was in a ponytail, the most dazzling thing about her were her dazzling blue eyes.

" _Blue Pegasus_ is bringing home the gold this year," said Ase confidently.

Meanwhile Hiccup was looking at his team.

"Ready?" he asked.

They nodded.

"Let's go."

They then started to step outside.

"Now the time has come to meeting competitors," said Agnar. "First up, 8th place, an old school bunch of wild dragons from Berk. They had luck in the preliminary prelims and now they're raring to take back first place by force. It's _Dragon Tail_!"

However instead of witnessing cheers _Dragon Tail_ witnessed boos and hisses from the audience.

"Not quite the welcome I had in mind," said Hiccup.

"No kidding, I wasn't expecting this," said Ragnar.

"I want to go home," Ruby whined.

"Who would have thought that they'll make it this far after losing every year," said Agnar. "Securing a spot in the prelims was no small feat for them. Will the _Cove Team_ sensational return help _Dragon Tail_ become Septems number one Guild!"

Agnar's announcement didn't exactly inspire confidence.

Ruby groaned upon hearing this.

"Don't let it get to you," said Astrid placing a hand on her shoulder.

Johann merely smiled. "What most people forget is that the guild masters of _Blue Pegasus_ and _Blazing Fenrir_ were members of _Dragon Tail_ before establishing their own guilt. I myself was a former member and I can honestly say that everyone is watching eagerly on the results."

"Cheer until you bust a lung!" Stoick yelled.

They all turned and saw most of the members of _Dragon Tail_ were cheering them on from one of the stands.

"The cheers from our comrades are all the support we need," Astrid smiled.

Ruby nodded.

Hiccup looked at the stands and his eyes widened. "Ah my eyes playing tricks on me?" he asked.

"No, I see it to," Astrid gasped.

Standing there was none other than the first guild master, Hiccup and Stoick's ancestor, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the First.

"I'll be enjoying this," he said leaning against his cane.

"First Master?" Stoick gasped. "What in the world are you doing here?"

"Well clearly I'm cheering your team on," he said looking at him.

"Yes, I can say that, but aren't you dead?" Stoick stirred along with the rest of the Guild.

"My condition is a lot more complicated than you would assume," he said with a small smile on his face. "With that aside I wouldn't miss this for the world. Also the only people who can see me of those wearing the Guild emblem."

"Yeah… well, that's not really what I was concerned about."

"To be quite frank is getting a bit boring on Cove Island and I wanted to see some excitement and what was more exciting than the _Grand Magic Games_ with our team winning it?"

Ruby shook her head at Hiccup. "He really is your ancestor isn't he?"

"Well, I can't say I believe for coming here," said Hiccup.

"At least the ghost likes us," said Ragnar.

"Next up the team that came in 7th place in the prelims, the rounding army of hell hounds, _Blazing Fenrir_!" Agnar announced.

Suddenly emerging from the entrance were five very buff looking humans wearing dog collars with spikes. The man leading the pack was a buff looking guy about 25 with several handsome features. Alongside him was a plain-looking elf and a snivelling looking human wearing a wolf's pelt. Behind him were two very muscular humans one of them was bare-chested and the other was wearing armour and a helmet with a built-in visor.

"Let's win this thing!" said their leader.

The guild master, Mogadon the Meathead, was sitting with the other members of the Guild.

"I expect to win this year fellows so don't disappoint me," he said folding his arms.

"And coming in 6th is a Guild filled with a brim of the fairer sex. The maidens from the sky, Valkyrie Sword!" Agnar announced.

Suddenly emerging from another entrance was a gaggle of girls and leading them was a blonde haired woman roughly about their age with the sword in hand and dark blonde hair. Carrying their flag was a woman in a cloak and she appeared to be wearing quite a sexy outfit. One was a female dwarf who looked about the oldest out of them all. Like all her people they were short and stout, but unlike the male version she had no beards only a bit of fluff on the side of her cheeks. The youngest was had brown hair tied in pigtails and looked as if she had worked on a farm judging from her attire and the last one was an elf with beautiful black haired and looked the most agile out of them all.

"I didn't know there was a female Guild," said Toothless looking down from the stands.

"There are new girl that was born about seven years ago by Big-Boobied Bertha," Gobber explained.

Toothless blinked. "Now I wonder how she got that name?"

Apparently she got that name due to the fact that he had several massive breasts and she too dirty blonde hair and a fierce expression to boot. She was sitting with the other members of the Guild which were all female.

"Take them down girls," she said.

"In 5th place, watch as your wings me in the darkness it's _Blue Pegasus_!" Agnar yelled.

Then emerging from another entrance was Olatrand and _The Trimens_ and Feralan was holding their plaque. Most mysterious about them was their fifth member, who appeared to be wearing a rabbit suit.

"Hey, guys, do your best!" Ase cheered.

"Next in 4th place the god of lightning and justice, the sacred destroyer, _Thor's Hammer!_ " Agnar yelled.

Suddenly emerging from another entrance of a great show smoke was Lyon, Jura, who was carrying the flag, Torn, Veger and an elven girl about Merrill's age, who bore resemblance to Ashelin.

Ursula looked to then quite angry with the rest of the Guild. "Why did you only come in 4th place? I thought I told you to hold nothing back?"

The little elven girl looked up at him apologetically. "Yes, sorry about that Old Hag. I wasn't watching where I was going."

The fact which was proven a few seconds later when she tripped over her feet.

"I've never seen her before," Hiccup frowned.

"She looks like smaller version of that girl Ashelin," said Ragnar.

"Please try and stay on your feet," said Lyon.

"No promises, Lyon," she said blushing slightly.

Veger then looked at them. "This is Shanyla. She's one of Ashelin's cousins."

"Ah, that explains it," said Hiccup.

"And she's crazy strong to boot," said Torn.

"I need a lot more learned that I want to compete with Ashelin," she said.

"I was praising you!" Torn yelled.

"Calm down, Torn," said Veger tiredly.

"Being love crazy must run in the family," Ragnar nodded.

"Don't forget our agreement, Ragnar," said Lyon as he approached him. Ragnar turned and looked at him. "If we win Heather becomes a member of _Thor's Hammer_."

"Last time I checked I never agreed to that bet," Ragnar pointed out. "Not that it matters, because your guys are going to lose."

Olatrand in waste any time approaching Astrid. "If we win I'll take Miss Astrid on and only," he said.

Astrid glared down at him. "You do no such thing you troll!"

Olatrand the power leading here as he began to sniff at her. "Your parfum is like candy to my nostrils."

"And I'll take you I guess," said Arvin looking at Ruby. "Not that I'm into you or anything like that."

"Thank you, Feralan, it's good to know that some things never change," said Ruby rolling her eyes.

"Then I'll take Merrill," said Cavin turned around only to find Snotlout staring at him. He immediately backed away. "Hmm, wow, you really sprouted didn't you? That's cool I'm into thick chicks."

"Laugh it up," said Snotlout grumbled.

"Is everyone so interested in our female members?" Hiccup shaking his head.

"At least it true that got good taste," Ragnar shrugged.

Arvin was more interested in Valkyrie Sword. "Hey, Boss! If we lose I want to get into this guilt?"

"Hey, I was gonna call gibes!" Torn yelled.

Ruby looked at the others. "Have you seen any of those Fenrir guys before?"

"I know the leader, his name is Thuggory and he's Mogandon's son," said Hiccup.

Thuggory made his way up to Hiccup. "It's been a long time Hiccup. More than 10 years if I remember."

"To me it was only five years," Hiccup reminded.

"Ah, of course, the little incident of yours caused most of your Guild missed seven years," said Thuggory. He then turned to Astrid. "And this must be the lovely Astrid."

"It's a pleasure, Thuggory," she said graciously.

"I wonder who's the guy in the bunny costume," said Snotlout gesturing to the guy in the outfit, who appear to be posing.

"Now to introduce your 3rd place contestant," said Agnar.

Everyone turned the entrance way, but found it blocked by a dark fog and black feathers.

"Whoa, what a shocker? Swooping in from a midnight setting. These dark and gloomy bunch of making their debut in this year's Games! Give it up for, Raven Tail!"

Everyone's eyes widened when they saw Raven Tail entering into the Coliseum. The woman in armour was the one carrying their plaque and they had to be the most menacing of all the Guild so far.

"What in the name of Thor are they doing here?" Hiccup demanded.

Everyone was in utter silence.

"This is bad," said Astrid. "Their leader is Alvin's mother and Ragnar's grandmother, Excellinor the Crazy."

Ruby's eyes widened. "But that means there…"

Everyone else was confused, because everyone's knowledge Raven Tail was a Dark Guild which begged the question how they managed to compete in the Games. A single look at them definitely indicated they belong to a Dark Guild by the menacing way they looked.

Stoick was furious. "Mind telling me why are Dark Guild is participating? Have you officials lost your mind or just incompetent to begin with?"

Gobber and Spitelout had to pull Stoick before he did something regrettable.

"You're making a scene, Stoick," said Gobber pointed out.

"He's going to bust the vessel," said Adelaide.

"I'm definitely sensing intense malice from them," Hiccup the First frowned.

The crowd was also a bit mystified.

"Isn't _Raven Tail_ a Dark Guild?

"I don't know, I've never heard of them before today."

Agnar looked at their documents. "Well, their records appear to be in order. They are an old guild, official sources state they've been active over 20 years, but they were only recently approved for Official Guild status by the Viking Council."

Johann frowned. "If they have Official Guild status then they're typically not a Dark Guild and therefore editable to compete."

"Curse you, Excellinor," Stoick grumbled. "I don't know how you did it, but whatever you're planning I swear I'll stop you."

Excellinor was looking down from the stands with a large smile on her face. "You really shouldn't get worked up," she smirked. "I can't wait to see your Guild fall."

The woman in armour then looked at Hiccup and his team.

" _Dragon Tail_ , I trust your friend is recovering," she said.

Then standing on the man in bandages with a small like creature. It in take them long to figure out that they were the ones that attacked Merrill and Stormfly before the preliminary started.

"So it was you that attacked Merrill," Hiccup glared clenching his fists. "Making an enemy out of _Dragon Tail_ is a costly mistake."

Everyone else remain quiet, but they all agreed with Hiccup.

The armoured woman merely chuckled. "This Festival is just getting started."

"Excellinor," Stoick ground from the stands looking at the guild master of the former Dark Guild.

"Hold on, we've still got to change who made it through the qualifying round," said Agnar diversion everyone's attention back to reality.

"Yeah, I wonder which of the other teams made it through," said Toothless.

"You can bet one of them being _Sabretooth_ ," said Gobber. "As for the other one…"

"All the well-known Guilds have already been announced," said Adelaide curiously.

"So it's entirely possible one of these teams are tied to Drago," said Ragnar to the others.

"That's assuming that Jellal's intuition was right," Astrid pointed out. "I guess we'll know soon."

"Our 2nd place runner up is…" Agnar then looked down at the wrist and he blinked. "Wow, what a surprise! This year's competition has gotten a whole lot more interesting folks!"

Suddenly lightning appeared from the entrance which shoot itself in the symbol of Dragon Tail. When the lightning dispelled to their amazement they saw standing there was none other than Alvin, Valka, Heather, Eret and, to their complete bewilderment, Mystogan.

"It's Dragon Tail Team B!" Agnar announced.

"Alvin!" Snotlout stared.

"Mum!" Hiccup gaped.

"Heather!" Ragnar stared.

"And Eret? How is that fair?" said Ruby dumbfounded.

The entire crowd was once again in a state of bewilderment as they looked down at the second Dragon Tail team.

Olatrand folded his arms. "I certainly didn't expect them to have two teams."

"Hang on, how is Mystogan here?" Hiccup stared.

Astrid looked at Mystogan. "Jellal is that you in there?"

Jellal placed a finger over his mask. "Shh," he whispered.

"You kidding me?" said Hiccup and Ragnar the same time.

Lyon attention was on Heather and his cheeks glowed red. "Beautiful," he said.

Shanyla looked quite jealous. "So she's the one you been fawning over."

 _The Trimens_ didn't look at all surprised.

"Of course they've got two teams in," said Arvin. "I wouldn't have expected anything less."

"Alvin and Eret have joined the party," said the armoured woman.

"How can they have two teams?" Thuggory asked looking at the announcers. "We you mind explaining to us?"

"You know, I think the newly implemented rules may have left our audience a bit perplexed, Johann," said Agnar looking at Johann. "Care to explain?"

"Sure thing. The committee in charge of the Grand Magic Games permitted each guild to enter two teams which they thought would make the preliminaries more exciting," Johann explained.

Ruby looked up at Stoick. "Why didn't you tell us this was your plan, Master?"

Stoick merely laughed. "This is how the _Dragon Tail_ Guild takes care of business!"

Agnar frowned slightly. "I'm not sure if the committee thought this new rule through. I mean this is a team-based competition. Won't having two teams from the same Guild stack the odds?"

"Granted it input the other guilds in a slight disadvantage, but they all have the same advantage," Johann pointed out. " _Dragon Tail_ was just smart enough in order to notice this advantage and acted upon it."

"Well it's totally unfair if you ask me," said Ase. "Let's say there's an event that each team chooses a member to compete the others in a battle royale. There's nothing to stop the _Dragons Tail_ members to team up with each other."

"It does give them an advantage, but I guess that's the reward for being the only Guild out of over a hundred to put two teams in the game," said Agnar.

"Stoick may not look it, but he is quite crafty," said Johann with a small smile.

"I see," said Ruby. "That's why there was so many teams entered the tournament."

Hiccup looked at the other team. "You do realise that we will be able to pull any punches if we faced against each other."

"We wouldn't have it any other way," said Eret.

"Eret is a lot stronger than he was three months ago," said Skullcrusher looking at Toothless.

"The same could be said for Valka," Cloudjumper added.

"Hiccup is no lightweight either," said Toothless.

"Team B has got some serious power, it will be easy to take them down," said Gustav.

Valka walked up to Hiccup. "I hope you're ready son."

"I'm not sure up to this," said Hiccup.

Valka then placed a hand on his shoulder. "Son, you have the makings of a great leader you just need to be confident about yourself."

Astrid was more concerned about Jellal. "So… What are you doing here? This is wrong."

"Hiccup's father took some convincing, but his mother vouched for me," said Jellal. "Once I explained the situation he gave my plan their blessing."

"You said that it was impossible to get near the Colosseum," Astrid pointed out.

"It was, until this opportunity presented itself," said Jellal honestly.

"It's against the rules, you're not an official member of _Dragon Tail_ ," Astrid reminded.

"As I understand it Mystogan and I are essentially one of the same."

Alvin then approached them. "Don't be so uptight, this is a festival we're all friends here." He then looked at Jellal. "Right? Kiss and make up."

Astrid was very uncomfortable about this mostly due to the fact that she didn't want Jellal to be caught.

"It will be fine. Trust me," said Jellal sensing her uneasiness.

"By the way, 'Mystogan' you not usually this talkative. Keep in mind," Alvin warned.

"Understood," said Jellal.

Hiccup the First looked at Jellal with a puzzled look on his face.

"The hooded man down there, he doesn't seem to be a member of our Guild," he said.

"To be honest I wasn't expecting see you hear," said Stoick. "I had a very good reason for bringing him on board."

"That good reason was Valka," said Gobber. "That girl is kindhearted when she wants to be, but extremely fierce at times."

Hiccup the First looked back down into the arena. "I don't sense any malevolence coming from him. In fact, he seems to possess the same heart of those bearing our Guild emblem."

"It's a long story, but I guess you could say that he is technically a member of _Dragon Tail_ ," said Toothless.

Skullcrusher crossed his paws. "I get it, his Midgard's version of Prince Jellal. I thought he seemed familiar."

"King Jellal," Cloudjumper corrected. "I just hope that no one discovers this little substitute or else we could be disqualified."

"Is he strong?" Hiccup the First asked.

"He was once a member of the ten Viking Lords," said Stoick.

"Interesting," said Hiccup the First. "I can't say that I approve of this, but I'm no longer the guild master am I? I trust you had your reasons and for the moment our trust your judgement."

"So, have you managed to find anything yet?" Jellal asked.

"I'm suspicious of _Raven Tail_ , but beyond that I have no idea," said Astrid honestly.

Jellal shook his head. "This is their debut in the games. We've sensed the power in previous years so it can't be them."

Astrid looked at him curiously. "What about you? Any sign of this strange power."

"No. Not yet."

Excellinor looked down at Eret with great interest. "So Eret came to play."

"And lastly and certainly not least is the team that came in 1st place in the Preliminaries!" said Agnar.

Immediately the crowd went wild.

"That's right! You know them, you love them! Then get on your feet and screen like crazy for the most powerful Guild in all of Septem! The one and only _Sabretooth_!"

Suddenly appearing out of the entrance was Sting and Rouge and with them was a musclebound human completely barechested with sleek brown hair, male elf with long blond hair wearing a mask and a hat with a feather on it and finally a young elven girl about Ruby's age with silver grey hair. Sting was carrying the flag and had a confident look about his face.

"They're the ones to beat," said Hiccup looking at the others. "Remember not the number one Guild in Septem for nothing so be prepared for anything."

"Why so serious? It's just a game," Sting mocked.

Eret looked at Rogue. "Any reason why you're looking at me, girl?"

"Nothing important," she said bluntly.

"At least we finally know who our biggest competition is," said Ragnar.

In the stands Hookfang and Skull were cheering like crazy.

"You're the man, Sting! The best in the whole wide world!" Hookfang yelled.

"Show them what you've got Rogue," said Skull.

"It would seem as if _Sabretooth_ has an Excess cheer squad," Skullcrusher noted.

"Yeah and that Hookfang have an ego as big as Snotlout's," said Toothless.

"I didn't think such a thing was possible," said Cloudjumper. "What of the other one?"

"Skull seems to be calm, collected and realistic."

"He and Windshear would go like a house on fire," said Skullcrusher.

"All in all I would say we have an impressive group of Vikings here," said Agnar. "Any comments on our lineup, Johann."

"I'm predicting that these Games are going to be more exciting than ever before," said Johann. "Dragon Tail want to become number one, Jura taking part in the games this year and Raven Tail debut. All I can tell you folks is that going to be some fireworks."

"You heard it here folks, best sit back and enjoy the show!" said Agnar. "I say we've kept everyone waiting long enough! It's about time we unveil the official schedule for this year's tournament!"

Suddenly launching from the ground was a large stone pillar with several words on it. All the words seven days on the next to them were question marks. However, it was clear that a ban would take place on the first four days and on the fifth would be attacked battle. Also on the first four days they appear to be side effects, but they were all covered with question marks, except the first day one which had the word 'Hidden'.

"There's going to be a lot of action in the next few days," Ragnar noted.

"From what I can tell there's going to be a battle practically every day," said Hiccup.

"Each one of the rounds will begin with a contest, participants will run from 1st to 8th place. The teams will be awarded points depending upon on how they rank in the contests. Additionally the teams are allowed to choose which members they want to compete," said Agnar going over the rules.

Judging from the stone pillar each rank was awarded with a certain group of numbers. 10 for 1st place, 8 2nd, 6 for 3rd, 4 for 4th, 3 for 5th, 2 for 6th, 1 for 7th and 0 for last place.

"After that we have the battles," Agnar continued. "These battles should come quite a treat to all you loyal fans since it was your suggestions that created these matchups."

"Interesting," said Astrid.

"Sounds like they get to choose who fights who," said Ragnar.

"So then if you don't watch how much magic you use in the contest you could find yourself in a battle with no time to rest," said Ruby.

"I suppose they keep the match up hidden so that people don't cheat," said Hiccup folding his arms.

On the stone tablet were now different teams fighting one another went from A to G and below that were the scores. Apparently the winner would receive 10 points while the loser would receive zero. Also it if it ended in a tie then both teams would receive five points.

"The battles are simple," said Agnar. "Each team will square off as shown here. The winning teams will receive 10 points while the losing team will get jack squat. In the case of a draw both teams will be awarded five points.

"Ready for action? Let's get things started with the first contest of the Grand Magic Games! One we call Hidden!"

The crowd were certainly bewildered by the name.

"Hidden? What's that?"

"How should I know?"

"At this time we would like each team to select one member to compete," said Agnar. "Once the selections are made the rules will be explained in detail."

"Let me start as of right," said the shirtless human of _Blazing Fenris_.

"Then do it," Thuggory nodded.

"The first challenger has stepped forward," said Agnar. "Representing _Blazing Fenris_ it's Asger!"

"The first one will be easy," said girl in pigtails from _Valkyrie Sword_. "I'll size our opponents."

"We're counting on you," said the dirty blonde.

"From _Valkyrie Sword_ it's the adorable Babs Vanderdotter!"

"Now Derav you go," the old woman ordered.

"I won't let you down, Boss Lady," Derav smirked.

"From Raven Tail it's Derav Gallra!"

"I'll take this one," said Cavin.

"We're sending you out in style," said Olatrand.

"Look out ladies here comes Cavin," said Arvin and Feralan together.

" _Blue Pegasus_ sends out Cavin Stormwind!" Immediately all the girl in the crowd began to cheer. "You got a love all those lively cheers!"

"I should handle this," said the blond haired elf from _Sabretooth_ as he got his hat. "I'm feeling inspired like a bird's lovely song."

"Keep your eyes open on this one folks. From _Sabretooth_ it's the minstrel that sings his own tone it's Ilors Songbird!"

Upon hearing his name the entire crowd began to cheer.

"Clearly he's quite popular," said Hiccup.

"Whatever the rules I'm sure the name is a clue," said Astrid. "I have a feeling that stealth and guile will be essential to win."

"If only Merrill wasn't out of commission," Ruby cursed. "She would be perfect."

"We just have to make do," said Hiccup. "For this reason we can't choose someone whose magic is too flashy or stands out like a sore thumb."

"True, but with your sense of smell you would be perfectly adapted to this," Ruby pointed out.

 _Thor's Hammer_ were also discussing who they should sent out.

"It sounds like the smaller you are the better," said Shanyla. "So that means it's down to me and Veger."

Veger narrowed his eyes. "Who are you calling small?"

"No, we should take the lead from the start," said Lyon taking a step forward. "Just leave it to me."

"From _Thor's Hammer_ Lyon Bason!"

"Yeah, in that case I've got this one," said Ragnar looking at Lyon. "I've been itching to see what this tournament is all about."

"From _Dragon Tail_ Team A the icy Ragnar Keatson!"

"I'll take the lead," said Heather looking at the others.

"And Ragnar taking part has nothing to do with it," Valka smirked.

"From _Dragon Tail_ Team B Heather Valha!"

Agnar leaned forward excitedly. "All the competitors have been chosen and the long wait is finally over! Grab some refreshment and stay glued to your seat, because you don't want to miss a single minute of this fighting moment in Hidden!"


	33. Night of Shooting Stars

Watching the Game from the four statues that surrounded the Coliseum were Ultear and Orara.

"At last the Games are underway," said Ultear. "With all there spectacle."

"And of course Jellal can be satisfied from watching from the sidelines," Orara sighed. "I guess that makes a secret meeting with at Dragon Tail group pretty meaningless now wouldn't you say?"

"I'd say was very meaningful, at least we have an extra pair of eyes in case we miss something."

* * *

Mindor, who was going to explain the rules of the contest, was waiting for the team members together around.

"Now will each teams participant in the Hidden game kindly stepped forward," said Mindor.

"See you later," said Ragnar.

"You've got this Ragnar!" Ruby cheered.

"Those guys are ice!" Hiccup yelled.

"You better not lose!" Snotlout roared.

"There are two questions on everyone's minds," said Agnar. "First and foremost what kind of game will Hidden be? And who would you say would be the favourite in this serious competition."

"It is safe to assume that Ilors Songbird is probably the odds-on favourite, but Ragnar from Dragon Tail is a dark horse in the running," said Johann.

"Let's ask today's special guest, Miss Ase Rosedotter from _Blue Pegasus_."

"My fave, I'll be rooting for Cavin of course," said Ase. "He's got this in the bag."

Soon all the members were gathered around Mindor who was about to explain the rules.

"I hope you realise that I won't intend on losing to you," said Heather looking at Ragnar.

"Of course not, I want to win too," Ragnar smiled back.

"My mind is set on winning the competition as well and then fair Heather's heart," said Lyon beaming slightly.

"You live in a delusional world," said Heather.

"That's putting it lightly," said Ragnar.

"Before we start I got a little problem see," said Derav stepping forward. "I don't know exactly what this Hidden game is all about, but I think something stinks around here and that something happens to be that there is two Dragon punks competing in this thing. No other guild is going to get the chance to have two members in each round so I say they've got an unfair advantage."

"What?" Ragnar roared as he and Heather glared at him.

"I understand your concern, but it can't be helped," said Mindor. "We never dream that one Guild would have two teams make it past the qualifying round, it really is an amazing feat."

"I have no qualms with it," said Ilors. "In fact I remember something that I once heard. A wise man told me that two heads aren't necessary as better than one."

"If I got a two Dragons bring it on," said Asger slamming his fists together.

"I sure ain't going to raise a fuss over it," said Babs.

Derav clearly didn't look too happy, remained silent all the same.

Ragnar then looked at Ilors. "Are you giving us some advice? A couple words of wisdom from the reigning champions?"

"All I'm saying is having a comrade could prove to be a disadvantage," said Ilors. "There are plenty of ways that can be used against you. If they were to leak information or held hostage in your hand would be easily forced. You'd be wise to remember that."

"Right," said Ragnar rolling his eyes. "I'll write it down later."

"Open the field!" Mindor commanded.

Suddenly appearing around them was an entire city with many different streets.

"What the—?" Ragnar stared.

Everyone just stared as buildings appeared left and right and streets appearing from all sides.

"A town?" Ruby stared.

"Amazing," said Astrid.

"They've got some impressive magic here," said Hiccup.

"These games are already getting crazy," said Snotlout.

The entire crowd just gasped in amazement as the town began to appear directly in the arena.

"Whoa, they can fit in an entire city right in the middle of the arena?" Toothless stared open-mouthed.

"I've never seen anything like it before," said Stoick.

" _Manifestation Art_ in such scale," said Jellal equally amazed. "How much magic energy would that require?"

Eventually the city was finally created and when Ragnar looked around he found that everyone else had vanished into thin air.

"Heather? Lyon?" Ragnar called, but no one answered. "Where in the heck did everybody go?"

Heather also found herself in a completely different location and started walking around the streets. "All the others just disappeared."

Lyon too was in the street alone. "Now I see. So this is the game isn't?"

Cavin was leaning against a wall. "High-stakes hide and seek."

Babs was completely bewildered. "Should I be hiding or seeking instead?"

Asger was also walking down the street. "I used to play this game when I was a little kid. Is there somebody looking for us?"

"For those of you in the stands can catch all the exciting action in crystal-clear lacrima vision," said Agnar and holographic screens appeared across the stands. "I bet the eight contestants in the arena which they had that luxury, but that would make it far too easy.

"Speaking of easy, here are the rules of the game. All the players are hiding and seeking at the same time."

"What does that mean?" Hiccup wondered.

"The main objective in Hidden it to locate the other players. Once you've done that, you have to land an attack on them. The player that successfully connects their attack, whether or not it does any damage, will then be awarded one point and the opposing player will lose one point."

Then suddenly something else began to emerge within the city.

"Wait, now what's going on?" said Ragnar looking around.

Suddenly appearing all over the city will holographic versions of all the players.

"Oh boy, there's hundreds of them," said Ragnar looking around wildly.

"What's with all the lookalikes?" Ruby stared.

"I guess it's to make the entire game a lot harder," said Hiccup folding his arms.

"I agree," Astrid nodded. "Even after knowing Ragnar for all these years, I would probably have trouble finding the real one."

"I know they're pretty, but those copies are just to show folks," said Agnar. "Attack one of your fake competitors by mistake and it will cost you one point plus you be put in a 10 second timeout and will be starting from somewhere else. You are allowed as many restarts as you need, but the clock is ticking the game will last 30 minutes and of course the person who has the most points at the end takes first place. It's time to disappear like a black cat in a dark alleyway. Taking your surroundings and hide in plain sight!"

Suddenly they heard the sound of a horn no doubt indicating the start of the game.

"Let's play Hidden!" Agnar yelled and the entire crowd cheered their heads off.

"This game isn't really about hygiene as much as seeking," said Asger looking around at all the copies. "It's gonna be tough figuring out who the real enemies are in here."

Heather was just walking trying to avoid touching any of the copies. "The surrealistic, I can't even tell which one is the real Ragnar. Best be careful or else I loosened some serious points."

Ragnar then started to run through the street as quickly as he could knowing about the time limit.

"I can't believe this, finding the real people in here is going to be impossible," he said.

"You dimwit," said a voice behind him. Ragnar quickly turned and saw Derva standing right behind him. "You don't have a snowballs chance if it takes you this long to figure out the game."

Ragnar narrowed his eyes. "You're with _Raven Tail_!"

"As a matter of fact I am and I also know that your guild master's grandson, but she's given me special permission to be due to a pulp," he sniggered.

"Well it was very sweet of you to come find me like this," said Ragnar.

Derva merely chuckled.

Ragnar then places hands together. "Because that means I don't have to find you! _Ice-Make: Hammer!_ "

He then created a nice hammer and flung it straight down onto Derva. The hammer was now quite different than it was before, it now had spiked and was a bit larger than normal.

"Oh yeah," said Ingrid.

"Is there something different about his _Maker Magic_ now?" Helga asked.

"That what happen when you unleash you're Second Origin, guys" said Toothless folding his paws.

"Thanks for giving me my first point," Ragnar smiled. However he then heard a negative sound. "What the? I clearly just took the guy out!"

However he then noticed that Derva had vanished and looked up to see Derva approaching him chuckling slightly.

"No way," Ragnar stared.

"Nice try, but this here is the real thing see," Derva smirked.

Ragnar was just completely bewildered as was everyone outside.

"I didn't Ragnar would be that easy to trick," said Hiccup staring.

"Neither did I," said Ruby looking a bit horrified. "And that means our team loses a point."

Ragnar then promptly vanished and reappeared in another section of the imaginary city. On the monitor they could see his total points which told everyone that he was now the bottom of the barrel.

Ragnar -1

"Can't believe I fell for that," said Ragnar mentally kicking himself. He then got back to his feet. "Oh well, at least I learned something. You can use your copies to get close to an enemy and then when the attack and reveal themselves you can take them by surprise and score a major point. That's how you play Hidden."

On the monitors it was very hard to tell who was who.

"Everybody's totally blended in with the crowd," said Ruby.

"Finding someone in this mess is going to be almost impossible," said Hiccup.

"I'm glad not playing this one, I'd be lost in the crowd very easily," said Snotlout.

"And as we've just seen any careless actions could cause you to be revealed the enemy," said Astrid. "How will you proceed Ragnar?"

Ragnar was back in the crowd keeping his eyes open.

"There are a ton of people here and most of them are fakes," he said to himself.

"Oh, Ragnar," said Derva's voice. "You make this too easy!"

Ragnar quickly turned just in time to see Derva swinging a fist towards him. He was wearing a pair of special gauntlets that created spikes and struck hard before he had a chance to counter.

"Not again," said Hiccup.

"He lost another point," Astrid stared.

Ragnar -2

Derva +1

"This sucks why is he coming after me so hard?" said Ragnar.

"This game is getting really fun!" Derva yelled.

Ragnar soon vanished from the field yet again and you another section of the city.

"The tension is so thick in this game of Hidden you could cut it with a knife," said Agnar. "With _Raven Tail's_ Derva quickly taking the lead." He then turned to Johann. "Hey, someone feel with so many copies of yourself and your enemies how would you figure out who was real and who was just a fake?"

"There are a variety of different ways to figure out who real," said Johann. "One way is to trying to detect an opponents magic power."

Ase giggled slightly. "I'm sure are crafty little Cavin will figure out a more sophisticated method."

"Searching for magic might be a start, but it would certainly get you into the general area of the facility," said Astrid. "But pinpointing the foe would be tough."

"Perhaps I should have taken part in this game," said Hiccup folding his arms. "My sense of smell I would been able to pick out the real enemies right away."

"Well it can't be helped now," Ruby groaned.

"That dwarf has gotten Ragnar two times in a row!" Snotlout roared.

Ruby frowned and looked at the stands containing the _Raven Tail_ Guild. "What's up with _Raven Tail_?"

The girl with long red hair then looked at her. "Staring isn't very nice, Red."

"They're the ones that attacked Merrill and for some strange reason they seem to be only targeting Ragnar in this round," said Ruby.

"Maybe I'll teach you some manners," she said.

"That's enough, Flare," said the armoured woman.

"Yes, Lexsar," said Flare quickly.

Stoick growled furiously. "Excellinor you scum."

"I know you can win this Ragnar!" Toothless yelled.

Ragnar was still making his way across the streets and began keeping his eyes for any of his opponents.

"Square one again," he sighed.

Then suddenly he saw the ground move in front of him.

"Carrot Missile!" Babs voice yelled.

Suddenly launching out of the hole with a stream of carrots. Fortunately, Ragnar was able to dodge them and then emerging out of the hall was none other than Babs.

"Ah, shoot. I totally missed that guy," she said frustratingly.

A brief second later, a massive flytrap launched out of the ground sending her flying.

Babs -1

"What is that?" he stared and turned to find Asger standing behind him.

Asger +1

"All yeah! I was sick of waiting for the chance to use magic," he smiled.

Then suddenly he was shot in the back by a stream of ice and the cost was none other than Lyon.

Asger 0

Lyon +1

"So was I," said Lyon.

Ragnar narrowed his eyes. "You."

"I found my rival finally," Lyon smiled.

However before either of them could launch an attack Heather appeared out of nowhere and struck with a powerful kick.

"That's treating me like a trophy," she glared.

Lyon 0

Heather +1

"Hey! I don't need any help from you," said Ragnar.

"I'm aware of that," she said as Lyon vanished. "We might be from the same Guild but I'm still determined to beat you."

"Any reason why?" Ragnar asked.

"To show that we are the better team," said Heather simply. "Let's just say that Alvin wasn't too pleased that we were Team B. Understandable considering that he is arguably the most powerful male member."

"Well, let's do this," said Ragnar raising his fist.

However before either of them could land a single attack Derva appeared out of nowhere and charge straight towards them.

"Two lizards for the price of one!" he yelled and struck the two of them with his spiked arms.

Derva +2

Ragnar -3

Heather 0

"Why is the only going to our guild?" Ruby stared.

"I don't know," said Astrid in confusion.

"What in the name of Thor is this guy's problem?" Ragnar roared.

Then suddenly snow began to appear above them much to the confusion of everyone.

"Well, would you like at this," said Agnar. "Our little city is turning into a winter wonderland."

"That's got to be Cavin," said Ase.

It was in fact Cavin, who was using his _Snow Magic_ to create a snowstorm above the city.

"It's a shame there are some Vikings here that aren't affected by the cold," he said. "But most of them are."

Olatrand understood his strategy perfectly. "I see, when people are cold they start to shiver and you can see steam from their breath."

"But it doesn't work that way for the copies," Feralan.

"Pretty smart strategy," said Arvin.

"I see you right there!" said Cavin pouncing.

He then unleashed a powerful snowstorm that struck Babs, Asger and Derva.

Cavin +3

Asger -1

Babs -2

Derva +1

"Cavin from _Blue Pegasus_ scores a flurry of points," said Agnar.

Cavin sent something behind him and turned around to see a bunch of ice eagles heading straight towards him. He managed to dodge the first two, but the third struck him and he knew that they belonged to Lyon.

Lyon +1

Cavin +2

"And the Ice Viking Lyon entered with a storm of his creation," said Agnar.

"Unfortunately for you I spent my life training in the cold," said Lyon.

"Yeah, I kind of figured," Cavin winced.

The battle was now really waging on as points were being taken and gained left and right. Sadly Ragnar had difficulty catching up due to the fact that every which way he turned Derva appeared attacking him.

"Again?" said Ragnar narrowly avoiding one of his attacks. "What's the deal? Why is this week so obsessed with me?"

"We still yet to see any movement on the board from top seater, Ilors of the _Sabretooth_ Guild," said Agnar looking at the board. "He hasn't lost any points, but he hasn't scored any either."

From the board at the moment it was Ragnar and Heather that were at the bottom of the barrel with Ilors just above Heather by one point.

Ilors was in fact standing on one of the tall buildings overlooking the entire city.

"I find this game dreadfully boring," he said.

Then suddenly everyone noticed him as he stuck out like a sore thumb.

"Wait, there he is," said Agnar turning his attention to the tallest building in the city.

Everyone just stared in bewilderment since he was in a very vulnerable position where everyone could see him.

"I committed this song to memory," he said. "The rhythm of their heartbeats, their footsteps, the tone of their magic."

"That's a pretty conspicuous hiding place the ask me?" said Ruby.

"You think this guy actually wants the others to fight it was some reason?" Snotlout asked.

"I don't like the look of this," said Hiccup folding his arms.

"It's all there," said Ilors. "Inside my mind."

He then placed his fingers on his temple and suddenly a Magic Circle appeared behind him. " _Memory-Make!_ " he said calmly and then suddenly the sky turned black and everyone just stood staring at him.

"What is this magic?" Astrid stared. "I've never heard of it."

When the night sky passed over them all the players let out much to their surprise.

" _Night Shooting Stars!_ " Ilors yelled.

Suddenly launching out of his body were seven lights and they suddenly struck every one of Ilors' opponents. To them it felt as if they had been struck by lightning and all of them roared in pain.

However, Derva managed to avoid the attack and then jumped up towards the building where Ilors was standing on.

"You could really learn a thing or two about hiding!" he yelled as he swung at this at him.

Suddenly Ilors vanished into thin air just as his fist touched him. "Oh no! A fake?"

Then suddenly reappearing directly behind him was Ilors. "Not quite," he said. "You haven't lost a point. That was the memory of me being there."

He then struck him with a powerful bolt of lightning and Derva Bell back down into the streets. "I find that much more effective than using mere decoys."

The sky then turned back to normal and everyone cheered at Ilors amazing display. Understandable because banks that little move he was now in the lead.

Ilors +7

Cavin +5

Babs+ 3

Derva +2

Lyon +1

Asger +0

Heather –1

Ragnar -2

"And they rain down from above turning the scoreboard upside down," said Agnar. "This is what you expect from a guy like Ilos. _Sabretooth_ takes the lead!"

"The organisers really need to work harder," said Ilos in a drawl voice. "These Games aren't the least bit interesting. After all, I was still able to claim victory without even needing to hide. They may have spotted me, but no one even came close from touching me. The best they could do is merely chase my memory."

"Whoa, that was unbelievable," said Skullcrusher.

"No kidding," said Toothless.

"I have never seen an attack like that," said Cloudjumper.

"I think I'm starting to see why they're the number one Guild in Septem, man," said Ruby.

"At a boy Ilos! I can't wait until everybody can see what Sting can do!" Hookfang cheered.

"Like we expected anything less!" Skull cheered.

Ragnar looked up at Ilos. "Is that some kind of _Maker Magic_?" he frowned.

Lyon came to the same conclusion. "He's truly a force to be reckoned with. I'll watch out, we can still beat them."

Ragnar however wasn't going to waste any time. "Think you outsmarted us? This game is called Hidden so start playing by the rules!" he yelled as he rushed towards him.

However before Ragnar could launch a single attack Derva appeared out of nowhere and struck Ragnar with a powerful kick.

Ragnar -3

Derva +3

"What?" Ragnar stared.

"That Ilos guy was standing completely open out there," said Ruby.

"But still Derva took party over him to attack Ragnar," said Astrid.

Hiccup shook his head. "How is he able to find him so quickly?"

The game continued for fair bit and despite Ragnar and Heather's best efforts they weren't able to get out of their current positions. Blues singer in the end of the game and the city began to dissolve.

"And with that the game is over!" Agnar announced. "So let's take a look at the old scoreboard!"

Everyone then turned to the scoreboard which wasn't very promising for both teams _Dragon Tail_. The rankings showed the Guild emblem and name plus the point they had calmly earned.

Sabretooth 10 P

Raven Tail 8 P

Thor's Hammer 6 P

Blue Pegasus 4 P

Valkyrie Sword 3 P

Blazing Fenris 2 P

Dragon Tail B 1 P

Dragon Tail A 0 P

Ursula was furious. "That was absolutely pitiful Lyon!" she roared.

"Easy Master you should really calm down," said one of the members.

Blue Pegasus weren't disappointed.

"Cavin could have done a whole lot worse I guess," said Feralan.

"Not too bad," said Arvin.

"5th place, huh?" said the elf. "We better step up our game."

The dwarf merely laughed. "We got to give Babs some credit for trying."

"Even still I want everyone to improve their game," said Bertha firmly.

"Just as we suspected _Sabretooth_ claims the top spot," said Agnar.

"Stupendously done," said Johann.

"Both _Dragon Tail_ teams gave it their all, but unfortunately it wasn't enough to get them out of last place," said Agnar sadly.

"Better luck next time," said Johann.

Unsurprisingly the crowd began mocking them.

"What do you expect from the weakest gilding Septem?"

"They are such losers."

"Get used to being in dead last you has been."

Snotlout looked at him furiously. "You better stop laughing us right now or else!"

His let's only encourage them sadly.

"Ooh, he's mad."

"What are you going to cry?"

"Snotlout you're only making it worse," said Astrid.

"Let them laugh for now, they'll be singing another tone later," said Hiccup.

Ragnar merely walked past them without looking at their eyes. "Sorry," he said quietly before heading to the showers.

"Don't worry about it, it's only the first game," said Ruby.

However, said nothing as his intentions were upon Derva, who kept on interfering preventing him from scoring many points. Plus there was Ilos sudden attack that called everyone completely off-guard.

He soon entered in the corridor they had emerged earlier and slammed his fist against the wall in fury.

"I will be getting payback for this so they should watch out," he said furiously.

"Coming up next is the battle part of the contest," said Agnar. "One member of each team will participate in a match, but this is in a tournament set up."

"It is the games organisers who will decide who will be duking out for battles, right?" Ase asked.

"I'm sure they'll set up some spectacular displays of magical skills," said Johann confidently.

Agnar then grabbed a sheet of paper with the matchups. "I have just received the lineups so will find just how spectacular those will be. Our very first match to the Grand Magic Games will test the abilities of _Dragon Tail A_ Zodiac wielder, Ruby Heartfull!"

"Okay," said Ruby stepping up.

"Against the crimson intensity, _Raven Tail's_ Flare Corona!"

Flare was the redheaded human girl from earlier and she looked a bit menacing to say the least.

"Too bad for you Red," she said.


	34. Ruby vs Flare

A man of about 25 years give or take was strolling down the corridors with some armoured men. He had long, red hair that was shaven in an undercut. He wore a green shirt, with black shoulder pads and arm guards, green pants with black boots, and black armour. He also had a faint stubble of beard on his face.

"Did you watch the game, sir Throk?" said one of the men.

"Yes," he nodded. "It seemed a bit one-sided."

"Perhaps the battle portion will prove to be more entertaining."

"I think I'll go watch it in person," he said. He then chuckled to himself. "If this keeps up this year's harvest might surpassed expectations."

* * *

Meanwhile in the Coliseum things were starting to get lively as the first battle was about to begin. The match was against Ruby and _Raven Tail_ only female member, Flare.

Hiccup and the others were now in the stands.

"Come on, now that girl into next week!" Astrid yelled.

"If you win it'll keep us in the running!" Hiccup yelled.

"Yeah, knock her lights out!" Snotlout yelled.

Ruby was certainly determined to win this match, but not only so they can stay in the running. _Raven Tail_ had hurt Merrill and Stormfly just to get their attention. Also in the last game they focused more on stopping Ragnar then winning the game. They had a lot to answer for.

"And they will," she said firmly. "I'll make sure of it."

"That's a kill look in her eyes," Skullcrusher noted.

"Yeah, it's like someone had lit a fire in her heart," said Toothless.

"She knows she's going up against one of Excellinor's rats," Stoick growled. "I want carnage out there Ruby, you hear!"

Gustav looked at Hiccup the First. "Something wrong Master Hiccup?"

Hiccup the First was frowning down at the Coliseum. "I can't help, but wonder what the _Raven Tail_ Guild is trying to achieve."

"With all due respect it's obvious that trying to humiliate us!" Stoick growled. "They're doing a great job of it too."

Hiccup the First didn't looked convinced. "Let's just hope that it's something that petty."

"Things are heating up in the stands as well," said Agnar. He then looked at Johann. "Is it true that the guild master of _Raven Tail_ used to be a member of _Dragon Tail_?"

Johann nodded. "Aye, Excellinor attempted to take over the guild in a coup attempt, but Master Runa was able to put a stop to it. After which she was banished from the Guild and then started the _Raven Tail_ Guild for what purpose we don't truly know. However for everyone does not know she is the mother of Alvin Treachson and the grandmother of Ragnar Keatson."

"Looks like this battle is going to be very hard-core," said Ase.

Mindor then stepped into the centre of the arena. "Competitors, step forward!" Both Ruby and Flare took several steps forward facing one another. "This entire arena will be your battlefield ladies. Since this is one-on-one we move the rest of your teammates completely off the field. You have a 30 minute time limit."

"Good, plenty of time," said Flare.

"I'm not losing to you," said Ruby determinedly.

"If you can knock out your opponent or make them forfeit in the time limit you win," said Mindor. "I want a good clean fight. Now, let's rumble!"

Suddenly the horn blew signalling the start of the match.

"Here we go," said Ruby pulling out Taurus' key. " _Open! Gate of the Golden Bull! Taurus!_ "

Taurus then appeared out of thin air swinging his massive battle axe. Flare managed to dodge the swing just in time.

"And Ruby Heartfull opens with a Celestial Spirit right out of the gate," said Agnar.

Ruby then grabbed Scorpios key. " _Open! Gate of the Scorpion! Scorpio!_ "

Suddenly appearing on the field was Scorpio and miraculously Taurus was still on the field.

"Wicked! It's a party!" said Scorpio.

"Two Celestial Spirits at once?" Ruffnut stared.

"That's amazing," Tuffnut stared. "She's got and way stronger out of nowhere."

" _Sand Buster!_ " Scorpio yelled unleashing a powerful sandstorm Flare.

Then suddenly Flare's hair began to extend and flames erupted from it. Then with a mad cackling laughter she used it in order to block the sand attack.

"She uses fire?" said Hiccup.

"Did she just blocked that attack with her hair?" Snotluot stared.

"Now Taurus, it's time to kick things up a notch!" Ruby ordered.

"Can do," said Taurus raising his axe.

Then suddenly the sand that was left from Scorpios attack began to swell around his battleaxe.

" _Absorb!_ " Taurus roared.

"Yeah man, you've guys! Let's go!" Scorpio yelled.

With the sand now surrounding his battleaxe, Taurus jumped into the air raising the axe high. " _Sandstorm Axe!_ " he yelled swinging the axe down onto the ground. " _Aldebaran!_ "

Suddenly a massive sandstorm was unleashed the moment the axe touched the ground and it spread across the entire arena blowing sand everywhere. Everyone in the stands at the cover their eyes that they wouldn't get it in their eyes.

"This is not good for my hair!" Ase yelled.

"What an attack folks?" Agnar yelled through the sandstorm. "Not only did she summon two spirits, but she combined their powers! This girl has some skill!"

"You can say that again," said Johann as the sand died down. "She wasn't nearly this strong seven years ago! What an improvement!"

"Thanks guys, that was awesome," said Ruby looking at both Taurus and Scorpio.

Suddenly the two of them vanished into thin air as Ruby closed their gates.

Flare has been launched into the air by the attack, but he quickly recovered.

"I'm going to kill her!" she growled.

Suddenly her hair extended and headed straight down towards Ruby and then took the form of a giant wolf.

" _Hair Shower: Wolf Fang!_ " she roared.

"Wow, her hair do all kind of crazy things," said Shanyla.

"Interesting," said Veger.

"This is crazy!" Torn yelled.

"Her hair is intriguing," Jura nodded.

Flare's attack was heading straight towards Ruby, but she was more than prepared for it and grabbed Cancer's key.

" _Open! Gate of the Giant Crab!_ " Ruby yelled.

Suddenly emerging out of thin air was cancer and using his p as he sliced the hair to bits.

"I'm cut above the rest, baby," said Cancer.

Flare just stared open eyed. "No! My hair you cut it!"

"Way to go Cancer!" Ruby cheered.

"Dealing with a do is my job baby," said Cancer before he vanished.

"How dare you!" Flare screamed unleashing her hair.

Her hair then sank beneath the ground of the arena and then reappeared grabbing Ruby's feet. Flare then began spinning Ruby around across the arena floor.

Hiccup and the others were yelling cheers of concern from the stands.

Flare laughed at as she slammed Ruby to the ground. "Your spirits have not been on my radiant glowing dresses!"

"Oh, yeah?" said Ruby reaching for her Fleuve d'étoiles. "My _Fleuve d'étoiles_ might disagree!"

She then whipped it and began to glow. It then began wrapping around Flare's left arm.

"How is that for flowing?" Ruby asked.

"What?" Flare roared.

Then suddenly the two girls will launch into the air and started to spin around. Flare's hair then caught fire and started to burn Ruby's boots. Eventually the two of them at least one another and it was sent flying across the arena floor.

"Whoa mama!" Agnar yelled as the crowd cheered enthusiastically. "What a match! These ladies are giving the fans a chance to catch their breath and neither of them look as if they're going to back down from this rivalry!"

"Both ladies went down, but no one is going to give it up," said Ase.

Flare merely smiled as she noticed that her flames had injured Ruby, who winced.

"What's wrong?" Fishlegs asked looking over the stands.

"Was she hurt?" Ingrid asked.

"What's that smoke?" Helga asked noticing smoke emerging from her ankles. "Looks like a feat of burning."

Flare's attack had practically melted the boots Ruby was wearing and it's done pretty bad.

"Ouch, that stings," Ruby winced.

"Ah, having a hard time getting up?" Flare marked as she stood up. "Is it because my beautiful red hair burned your little tootsies?"

"Her hair did that?" Wartihog stared.

"It must have burned Ruby when she grabbed her," said Speedfist.

"Please don't let upbeat you!" Mulch yelled.

"This is bad very bad," said Bucket with a slightly panic voice.

"Strange drum Ruby!" Mulch yelled.

Ruby then got to her feet and then tossed her smouldering boots off.

"I really like these boots too. Man, what a waste," Ruby grumbled.

Flare just stared at her, because she couldn't understand how Ruby got back up. Her scorching red hair should have at least gave her pause, but it looked as if it barely hurt her.

"Man, Ruby is tearing it up out there," said Cavin. "She's pretty awesome now."

"Yeah, it's amazing," Arvin agreed. "I'm very impressed. You never think that she spent the last seven years in stasis on Cove Island, but from where I'm standing she might as well be a different person. I watched her fight Valkyrie during the Nirvana incident, the power she had then is nothing compared to what she has now."

"Yeah, tell me about it. And after that she went through that poor old deal with the _Temple of Thor_ which probably made her even stronger in the end."

"That's true and that other redhead isn't lacking in skill. This fight is just getting started."

Flare roared in frustration unleashing her hair yet again and striking it down into the ground.

"Hey! What gives?" Ruby asked in confusion. "Are you trying to go for my feet again?"

"She is too exposed now," said Skullcrusher. "Without shoes to protect her, Flare's attack will be far more effective with slowing her down."

"Hopefully Ruby is well aware of this and has countermeasures," said Cloudjumper.

"Be careful out there Ruby!" Toothless yelled.

Ruby began looking around for any sign of Flare's attack, but she was unable to sense its movement this time. This meant that the attack could pop out in any which way and catch completely by surprise.

The crowd was also growing restless as they were all just standing there.

"Fight! Fight! Fight!" they yelled again and again.

Ruby then looked at Flare in confusion and saw that he was pointing towards the stands where her guild were cheering her on. Ruby turned and everyone just frowned at this wondering what was going on.

"What is she doing?" Hiccup frowned.

Ruby saw that the entire Guild was cheering her on enthusiastically and then her eyes widened. Appeared right behind Gustav was Flare's hair and everyone in the Guild were too busy cheering her on to notice.

"Gustav, look out!" Ruby yelled, but then Flare's hair wrapped itself around her mouth.

She then slammed Ruby to the ground hard.

"Ah, come on! You could have dodged that!" Mulch yelled.

"You've got move quickly!" Sven yelled.

"Maybe her legs took much more damage than we thought and we just can't just tell," Wartihog frowned.

Ruby picked herself up and saw that there was looking down with a sinister look on her face.

"Stay quiet, if you want the boy to live," she said as if addressing a child. "Start calling out to your friends up there and I'll break his neck. So be a good little bimbo and take your punishment with a smile."

Ruby could believe that she would sleep so low.

* * *

Throk was in the stands where the King had a perfect view of the battle. The king was a tall stern man with long hair and he was quite interested with a bachelor was taking place.

Then one of Throk's men approached him. "Oh, sir. I didn't realise you were watching with the King."

"It's bearing fruit," said Throk with his hands behind his back.

The soldier who frowned at him. "Excuse me?"

"With any luck, it will be ripe soon. Wouldn't it be nice if we could move ahead of and scheduled." Throk smiled to himself. "Are you watching Drago? It won't be long now."

* * *

In the stands, Stoick frowned and Gustav looked at him unaware of the strand of hair behind him.

"Do you say something, Master?" he asked.

"I sense something," Stoick frowned. "An odd magical presence that I've never felt before."

"It's probably my gas," said Ruffnut.

"Which gas is that?" Tuffnut asked.

Stoick narrowed his eyes at them. "Will you to shut it!"

* * *

Flare's strand of hair without you poking out of the cracks in the stands and its owner was looking at Ruby with a menacing look in her eye.

"No one notices, no one is going to notice," said Flare. "I end the brats life before anyone realises."

It was now official that the girl facing Ruby was completely insane.

"I just can't take my eyes of this battle," said Agnar. "Ruby Heartfull and Flare Corona are too stunning as ferocious competitors. Seeing _Dragon Tail_ in action must bring back your Viking Council days, Johann. They had quite the reputation back then, didn't they?"

"That's an understatement," Johann chuckled. "To be quite honest they were a pain in the backside, but beyond that they were highly skilled in the community practically worship them."

"Yes, I'm sure it comes as a surprise to many people watching," Agnar nodded.

Down in the arena Flare was eagerly maniacally and Ruby was now very convinced that this chick was completely demented.

"Now stay perfectly still and keep your magic to yourself," she said. "Disobey me in any way and I'll snap the boy like a candle."

Ruby felt completely powerless, because Flare was just crazy enough to do such a thing. She knew she had the winter her team, but there's no way she could put Gustav in danger.

"Ready, Red!" Flare yelled and struck will be with her hair.

"Oh no," said Jura. "Perhaps the strain of summoning two spirits at once was too much for her."

"Did she run out of magic?" Shanyla wondered.

"What do you mean she's not running?" Torn yelled.

Veger rolled his eyes. "No one said she was running you idiot."

Flare then began to strike Ruby relentlessly with her hair showing no mercy. This was a major concern to her team they watched with confusion.

"Why isn't she fighting back?" Astrid frowned.

"I don't get it she was on a roll just a second ago," Snotlout stared.

Flare then grabbed Ruby around the waist and began spinning around and around.

"Why isn't she out her spirits?" Wartihog frowned.

"I can't watch this," said Speedfist. "She's getting cleaned out there."

"You can get through this Ruby!" Sven yelled.

"Tell me when it's over, Mulch," said Bucket looking away.

"Perhaps she is conserving her magic power," said Mulch patting Bucket on the shoulder. "She better crack it open soon or else."

Flare was clearly enjoying torturing Ruby as he skidded across the ground roughly. The crowd were also a bit concerned as well as they watched the horror unfold.

"What happened?"

"Did you forget how to fight for something?"

"Come on, stack it up!"

"And just like that the fighters switched gears," said Agnar. "I'm not sure what happened, but Ruby Heartfull is now on the receiving end of a brutal beat down."

Ruby winced she looked at the stands.

"Come on, fightback Ruby!" Gustav yelled.

Ruby would like nothing more, but that would be endangering him and that was something she couldn't afford.

Flare's hair was now covered in flames as she began to whip Ruby relentlessly with a flaming.

"Feel the burn!" she yelled maniacally. "You like that! You like that!"

Ruby felt a tear trickling down her cheek, not because of flare because of her failure to help Guild. She just hope that they would forgive her for failing them.

Flare finally finished within her senseless and she looked up at her.

"Okay, that's enough," said Ruby. "I surrender—"

However before she could forfeit, Flare's hair wrapped around her mouth again.

"What happened?" Fishlegs stared.

"No clue," said Ingrid.

"Doesn't look like she's putting up much of a fight," said Helga.

"I'm pretty sure that I said no talking," said Flare looking at Ruby. "Did you forget the rules? How dare you do finally!" Flare then began wrapping her hair around Ruby's arms and legs and she extended her up into the air. "You can't surrender during the warmup. Not after I have so many delightful painful things I try. Now be a dear and take your punishment like a big girl okay."

Flare then removed her hair around her mouth. "No talking, but you are allowed to scream and cry." She then laughed sinisterly. "Now let's see. What shall I have you do first? Peeling those clothes off of you might be fun. Would you like to put on a show? Then again I'm feeling very artistic today and your body would be the perfect canvas."

Ruby's eyes widened in horror as Flare moulded a piece of her head into the _Raven Tail_ emblem and flames began to cover it.

"How about I branded it with the _Raven Tail_ emblem. Would you like that? Think of it as a souvenir that you will have for the rest of your life."

Ruby tried to break free of Flare's hold, but it was just too tight. Flare then began moving the blazing emblem around her body as if trying to decide where to put it.

"Now, where to put it?" She then smiled sinisterly as she looked at Ruby's emblem on her wrist. "Oh, I know. You wanted on top of your _Dragon Tail_ emblem, don't you?"

"No! Please don't! Put it anywhere but there!" Ruby begged.

Flare ignored her plea and guided her hand to face her and then slowly but surely brought her blazing emblem closer to the wrist where her emblem resided.

"I told you to stop talking!" said Flare with a sinister smile.

"No! Please I'm begging you!" Ruby pleaded.

Astrid and Snotlout were growing deeply concerned by this development.

"I've got a feeling that something is not right," said Snotlout.

Astrid then noticed for the first time that Hiccup was nowhere to be seen. "Where did Hiccup go?"

Snotlout looked around and seen that their leader was nowhere to be seen. "He was here a second ago."

The truth of the matter was Hiccup was running through the stand as quickly as he could. Due to his heightened senses he was able to hear Ruby's please while no one else could and was moving as quickly as he could towards the stands.

"My ears don't lie to me," he said as he put every bit of energy he had into running. "I heard a loud and clear!"

Flare was moving her blazing emblem closer towards Ruby's fist everyone was completely confused why she wasn't fighting. Then suddenly from out of nowhere Hiccup appeared and grabbed their strand of hair behind Gustav and burnt it to ashes.

"She was trying to protect Gustav!" he yelled.

"What?" Stoick gasped turning towards him.

"What a dirty trick," Toothless snarled.

Flare pulled her hair back and saw that the end was burnt away. She and Ruby then looked up at Hiccup, who was now in the stands with the others.

"You're in the clear Ruby!" Hiccup yelled at the top of his voice.

Ruby then found her inner strength. "Thanks, Hiccup," she said as she managed to reach for Gemini's key. " _Gemini!_ "

Suddenly appearing out of thin air was the Gemini twins. Gemi then immediately rammed Flare in the face and Mini freed Ruby from her entanglement. The combined attack sent Flare flying and freed Ruby at the same time.

Ruby then looked at the Gemini twins. "We're doing the big one," she said.

"But we haven't practised enough," said Gemi.

"We're not sure if we can do it," said Mini.

"Don't worry, just transforming to me," said Ruby.

"You got it," said Gemi.

The two dolls then touched one another and then transformed into Ruby.

"Ready when you are," said Gemini.

"I will kill that bimbo," Flare snarled.

"I don't understand," said Helga frowning. "Why didn't she just have them transform into Hiccup or Astrid? Or someone even stronger?

"Doesn't work that way. They can only copy people with magic power that is less or equal to Ruby's," Fishlegs explained.

"Oh, I see. So they can't copy Master Stoick or Master Hiccup?" said Ingrid.

"So basically the stronger she gets the more powerful Gemini can become," said Gobber folding his arms. "I have a feeling that you'll be able to copy me and Spitelout with no problem."

Spitelout turned on him. "Are you saying that we're weaker than Ruby?"

"Is it me or am I seeing double?" Agnar asked looking at Johann.

"Know your eyes are perfectly fine," said Johann. "This she summoned his Gemini the ability to transform into anyone, copying all their traits and abilities."

"It would certainly say that the crowd is enjoying seeing two beauties on the field," said Ase.

"She must have some kind of reason for needing to herself on the battlefield," said Wartihog.

"Maybe she's hoping to summon four spirits at once?" said Speedfist.

"No!" said Hiccup shaking his head. "Gemini can only maintain that form for a limited amount of time, five minutes to be precise. Not to mention summoning to spirit at once takes a lot of magic power."

"You mean you've got no clue?" said Mulch looking at him.

"Not really," said Hiccup.

"There are now two Ruby Heartfull's another single man in the audience is complaining about it," said Agnar.

"Now that's what I see what two Ruby's are capable of," said Johann.

Both Ruby and Gemini then clutched hands and closed their eyes. "Oh, stars far and wide that embody the heavens… By thy radiance, revealed thy form to me," they chanted in a meditative state. "I implore you… Oh Tetrabiblos… Eternall Ruler of the stars… Let your unrestrained rage flow."

"It can't be," Arvin stared recognising the spell. "That spell?"

"Now I see," said Cavin. "She's using Gemini ability to increase her own power."

"Amazing," said Arvin looking impressed. "She's actually mastered it. The _Spell of the Stars_."

Ruby knew that even with Gemini's assistants that the spell would be nowhere near strong as last time, but it would be enough to end this match.

Flare just stared at the two of them as they continue chanting. "What sort of spell is she casting?"

Ruby was gonna put everything he had into this one attack the Dragon Tailand soon a golden light covered their bodies.

"With the 88 heavenly bodies… Shining!" Ruby said opening her eyes which glowed like the sun.

Flare began to panic as planetary bodies appear all around her. "What's with the starry night sky? This doesn't make any sense!"

"Urano Metria!" they yelled.

Then suddenly all the constellations, that were it within the spheres, erupted from their bodies. The entire crowd stared at the planets began shooting down into the arena and Flare just stared in horror.

However, something unusual happened. The lights faded even before they struck Flare and Gemini was gone. Flare just sat there traumatised while Ruby just stood there in a daze much to the crowd's confusion.

"What happened? Did she lose control?" Toothless frowned.

"It looks like Gemini has gone as well," Skullcrusher noted.

"The entire spell has vanished," said Clousjumper.

Then Ruby then began to wobble. "Someone counted the spell," she said.

Flare then immediately turned to her teammates and looked at the mummified man next to Lexsar. "Obra," she gasped.

She realised instantly that he had saved her.

Ruby then collapsed completely exhausted and as she fell she couldn't believe what just happened.

"The spell vanished," Astrid stared.

"There's something fishy going on around here," said Snotlout.

"Well, I was expecting something way more bombastic, but her spell was a complete dud. Johann, any thought?" said Agnar turning towards Johann.

He then jumped back, because Johann was wearing a very disgusted looking face. He knew that _Raven Tail_ had cheated, but sadly there was nothing he could do without proof.

"Forget I asked," said Agnar turning his attention back to the arena and saw that Ruby had fallen onto the arena floor. "And she's down! Looks like that's it for Ruby Heartfull. You know what that means folks, the winner is _Raven Tail's_ Flare Corona!"

Flare got to her these with a fiendish looking smile as the crowd cheered for her so-called victory. Naturally this was very annoying to _Dragon Tail_ , but there was nothing they could do.

"She must have cheated somehow," said Toothless.

"It doesn't seem possible for her to nullify that spelling time," Skullcrusher agreed.

"That means that she had outside help," said Cloudjumper.

"I agree," said Hiccup the First. "This was no doubt the work of one of the team."

"Those guys are playing dirty!" Gustav snarled.

Stoick slammed his fist on the stands. "What's your plan?" he growled glaring up at Excellinor. "You trying to start a fight are you?"

"I told you I'd win," Flare mocked at Ruby. "You never stood a chance against me Red! Your pathetic, how's it feel to be such a loser?"

She then laughed.

Sadly the crowd were also on Flare's side as they were unaware of the cheating was involved.

"She couldn't even control her own magic? No wonder she lost."

"Lame!"

"Now _Raven Tail's_ got 18 points and _Dragon Tail_ is stuck with zero. Bigshot there right?"

Fortunately most the other guilds realise that there was cheating involved, but there was nothing they could do either.

"Deplorable," Jura glared. "It's not cheating if no one catches you in the act. That's how Dark Guild choose to operate."

"What a crappy way to lose," said Cavin.

"She knows they cheated somehow so she shouldn't beat herself up," said Arvin. "Still, they won."

"Thank you for a splendid magic battle!" Mindor yelled looking at the competitors.

Ruby began crying realising that they have failed on day one and there was nothing she could do to change it.

Hiccup then made his way onto the field and approached her. "Hey now," he said calmly. "No crying."

"I can't help it," Ruby cried. "It's just not fair!"

"No it's not, but that is why we'll pay them back a hundred times over," said Hiccup as he helped her up. "You were amazing, you prove that seven-year gap means nothing. We've still got a fighting chance. Zero points, sounds great to me. This is our chance to make an epic comeback."

Ruby felt much better by those words. "Yeah," she said with tears still in her eyes. "I can't wait to get started."


	35. Portent

Hiccup soon joined Astrid and Snotlout at the stands and immediately the two of them turn towards them.

"Is Ruby doing all right?" Astrid asked.

"As would be expected," Hiccup sighed. "She's at the moment in a nice hot shower trying to drown herself."

"That bad," Astrid sighed.

"We know it's not her fault and she knows it to in here," he said pointing to his head and then moved down to his heart. "But here she thinks otherwise."

"Well the second match is about to begin," said Astrid.

"And let's see what happens," said Hiccup as he stood next to her.

* * *

The next match was against _Blue Pegasus_ and _Valkyrie Sword_ and the competitors were already in the arena. For _Blue Pegasus_ it was Feralan and he was facing against the lean elven girl from _Valkyrie Sword_.

"It's only day one of the Grand Magic Games and the second match in the battle round has the audience in the edge of their seats," said Agnar. "It's _Blue Pegasus'_ Feralan Windrider versus _Valkyrie Sword's_ Athessa Woodweb. Will the playboy get webbed up?"

"You're stronger than last year, but you're still not going to beat me," said Feralan with a smile on his face.

Athessa chuckled slightly. "I thought a Pegasus man would object to attacking a lady. I guess I was wrong."

"These two are tough," said Agnar. "Just look at that determination."

Johann nodded. "This should be a great match."

"Go, Feralan! Win this one for _Blue Pegasus_! Ashelin, is in the stands cheering for you!" Ase yelled.

Ashelin immediately blushed.

The crowd began muttering to themselves, some of the girls gave disappointed responses while the men appreciate the match up.

Feralan quickly turn towards them looking annoyed. "Hey!"

With his back turned Athessa made her move and fired webbing straight at him covering him in webbing. "You left yourself wide open," she said.

"You've got to pay attention, Feralan! Now go out there and kick her butt!" Athessa yelled.

Ursula immediately turned on her. "What do you think you're doing? The last thing we need is one of our own rooting for the enemy!"

"Geez, give the kid a break Old Hag," said one of _Thor's Hammer's_ members. "They are engaged after all."

Ursula immediately turned on him. "Shut your trap. Want me to spin ya," she said spinning her finger around.

The poor guy was then suddenly spinning around like a top. "You already are!" he yelled dizzily.

Feralan managed to free himself from the webbing and then turned Thor Hammer's stands looking annoyed. "What are you talking about? We're not engaged! I just can't get rid of her, get it straight!"

"You're so mean!" Ashelin yelled.

Athessa then immediately took advantage of this distraction and fired more webbing straight at him. However, this time he was able to dodge the attack and began nimbly dodging each and every one of her attacks.

"You're always stuck to my side, it's annoying!" he said as he dodged the attacks. "That said, whenever you're not around I just don't feel like myself."

Ashelin blushed incredulously.

"Did I tell you they were an item," said the _Thor's Hammer_ member as Ursula kept on spinning him around the top.

"That's so sweet of you," Ashelin beamed.

"Why do chicks always fall for the bad boy jerk types?" Veger sighed.

"I don't know," Torn shrugged.

"Oh, don't be jealous," said Shanyla.

"As long as she's watching I can't go making a fool of myself," said Feralan looking directly at Athessa. "I refuse!"

The two of them entered on fighting stances and began sizing each other up. Then Athessa made her move and a split second later Feralan made his.

" _Aerial Phosa!_ " he yelled.

He then created a very powerful cyclone and set it straight towards Athessa. The cyclone managed to break through her web attack and stroke her with immense force. Once the spell was dispelled she fell to the ground unable to move.

Then they heard the sound of a horn indicating that Athessa had been annihilated an entire crowd cheered their heads off.

"Way to go baby!" Ashelin cried.

"And the winner is Feralan Windrider of _Blue Pegasus_!" Agnar announced. "Their Guild has scored an impressive 14 points on day one while Valkyrie Sword only had three points."

"I shouldn't have let my guard down," Athessa groaned as she picked herself up.

"Hey!" Ase cried. "I knew you could do it Feralan!"

"Whoa, his skills have improved immensely over the last seven years," Astrid noted.

"Make you wonder what the skill set for the others," said Hiccup.

Snotlout looked at them. "You don't think this guy is stronger than Olatrand do you?"

"Snotlout, don't be ridiculous," said Astrid looking at him. "Olatrand is an extraordinary man, he may be a little strange but here is without a doubt the most powerful Viking in _Blue Pegasus_."

"It is impressive for a dwarf," said Hiccup folding his arms. "Remember the old saying that big things come in small packages."

"I can't help but be suspicious of whoever is hiding in that rabbit suit," Astrid frowned.

"It is unusual?" Hiccup nodded. "Though I imagine we'll see later in the game."

* * *

So the next match was beginning and this time it was against _Sabretooth_ and _Blazing Fenris_. For _Sabretooth_ it was that barechested muscular human and _Blazing Fenris_ it was the guy in the wolf pelt.

"It's time for the third match of day one," said Agnar. " _Blazing Fenris_ ' Warcry versus _Sabretooth_ 's Orga Gearstone!"

The moment that Orga entered the arena the entire crowd went mad with admiration.

"He's so awesome!"

"Slaughter him!"

"Just listen to that crowd, he's incredibly popular," said Agnar.

The other members of _Blazing Fenris_ were looking down at Warcry.

"You're ready for this, I know you can do it Warcray!" Thuggory yelled. "Show this dude what it means to be one of the wild bunch!"

Warcry they roared into the air.

"Check it out it's Warcry," said Sting looking down into the arena while his other teammates just laid around. "This will be good. Have you seen his magic before, it's pretty entertaining."

"Yes, I find it fascinating" said Ilos. "In fact I've memorised it."

"I couldn't care less," said Rogue getting to his feet and then walked off.

Sting looked at Ilos and they shrugged at one another.

Rogue cared less about the other, the only person he was interested in seeing was Eret.

"I'm curious to see how _Sabretooth_ does in a one-on-one battle," said Skullcrusher looking down into the arena.

"If that guy is a strong as he looks this right is gonna be over superquick," said Toothless.

"If Ilos was proof enough to indicate how strong Sabretooth is," said Cloudjumper. "These are permanent we cannot underestimate."

Skull looked at Hookfang. "So you do you think is going to win this match?"

Hookfang quickly turned on him. "I think we both know that Orga's got it in the bag."

"Really no questions asked," said Skull.

"Sting is the strongest Viking we've got, but all are members of really strong," said Hookfang.

"Just remember to keep an open mind," said Skull turned his attention onto the battlefield. "I have a feeling that this year's Games are going to have quite the U-turn."

"Actually begins! Now!" Agnar yelled and the horn blew.

Warcry began growling at Orga and then to Orga's utter surprise tears began trickling out of his eyes.

"There it goes, that's Warcry's signature Tear Magic," said Agnar.

"Can't say that I've ever heard of it, but the name show is fitting," said Johann.

"Didn't expect that," said Hiccup.

"Neither did I," said Astrid.

"That is such lame magic," said Snotlout in bewilderment.

Warcry kept on crying and tears kept on rushing out of his eyes. "With my magic the more tears I shed the stronger I become! Let's go!"

However before Warcry could use any offensive spells Orga extended his hand and fired black lightning straight at him. The poor guy didn't had a chance, because the lightning hit him with such force that it took him out almost instantly.

Both Hiccup and Thuggroy's teams just stared in bewilderment at the power and watched as Warcry fell to the ground and a split second smouldering.

The entire crowd went crazy after the quick match and Orga's strength.

"Lightning, huh," said Alvin looking intrigued.

Both Hookfang and Skull cheered with enthusiasm and touched paws together. _Dragon Tail's_ _Exceeds_ were completely stunned by the attack.

"He took him out in one shot," said Skullcrusher stared.

"Such power," Toothless stared openmouthed.

"Incredible," said Cloudjumper in bewilderment.

The horn blew signifying the end of the match.

"And the third match is over in a flash," said Agnar. "Orga's black lightning scorched Warcry's tears for the win."

The crowd were completely perplexed by his power.

"No way it's over?"

"Ogra beat him that quick?"

"Now that guy is a monster!"

"And with that one quick KO, the winner is _Sabretooth's_ Orga Gearstone!" Agnar continued. "His team has dominated today's events they have scored a total of 20 points. Meanwhile _Blazing Fenris_ only has 2 points what a _crying_ shame."

Orga then started to make his way back to the stands without saying another word.

"You know you could have made it a little more entertaining, Orga," said Sting from the stands.

"I'd prefer to get things over and done with quickly," said Orga simply.

"That _Sabretooth_ worries me," said Hiccup the First with concern. "I hate to say it, but I'm not sure we'd be able to beat them."

"Yeah, they're totally awesome," Gustav agreed.

* * *

"Day one's matches are about to come to a close, but we still have one more battle," said Agnar. " _Dragon Tail B_ and _Thor's Hammer_ must be competing since they're the only teams we haven't seen yet."

"These two guilds used to be equally skilled so this should be an interesting fight," said Ase looking quite intrigued. "I can't wait to see which team comes out on top."

"Okay folks are you ready?" said Agnar. "The final match of the first day is going to be _Dragon Tail B's_ Mystogan versus _Thor's Hammer's_ Jura Rockfist!"

The entire crowd went crazy when they heard Jura's name.

"I can't wait!"

"Go, Jura!"

"Hurry, he's the only reason I came to watch the games!"

"I never would have expected him to fight on the first day!"

Astrid was quite concerned by the matchups. Not only was Jellal taking part on the first day, but he was going to fight Jura of all people.

"Mystogan is such a mysterious Viking that only a select few in _Dragon Tail_ have ever seen his face," said Agnar.

The crowd weren't completely impressed by Jellal unfortunately.

"You've got to be kidding me?"

"That's ridiculous!"

Soon Jura are merged into the arena and the rest of his team were encouraging him.

"Good luck out there, Jura!" Shanyla waved.

"This match is as good as ours," said Veger.

"It ain't even started yet, Veger!" Torn yelled.

"Show out, Torn," said Veger tiredly. "There's no need to be ticked off."

The moment the crowd saw Jura they began as if there was no tomorrow.

"Look it's Jura!"

"He's the coolest!"

"Oh, wow, it really him!"

"This is going to be great!"

The rest of _Dragon Tail_ was slightly disconcerted by this enthusiasm from the crowd.

"Whoa, I had no idea that Jura was so popular," said Fishlegs.

"Yeah, of course years," said Helga. "I mean he is one of the Ten Viking Lords after all."

"It is basically as strong as Master Stoick," said Ingrid.

Jellal was making his way to the battlefield and saw the rest of his team were greeting him.

"Well, I guess located on your side today," said Alvin.

"Who would have thought you'd be forced to fight, Jura," said Valka.

"I certainly wouldn't want to be facing him," said Eret.

"Don't worry, you can count on me," said Jellal making sure that his disguise was firmly secure. The last thing he wanted was people discover his identity in the middle of the battle.

He then started to make his way into the arena fully aware that the other members of _Dragon Tail_ that have taken part in a state of depression. The one thing they needed today was a victory and he was determined to give it to them.

He soon entered into the arena and started to make his way towards the centre where Jura was waiting.

"Personally I would love to see _Dragon Tail_ do well in this competition, but am afraid the Old Hag would throw a fit if I would be allowed to let you win," said Jura.

The two of them then stood there looking at one another in silence.

"My sincere apologies, but I won't be holding back," Jura smiled.

"Nor will I," said Jellal.

He then grasped a firm hand on his stave. It was never his intent to actually to enter the arena as a competitor, but nothing made him happier for fighting his friends in _Dragon Tail_.

* * *

In the stands Hiccup the First looked deeply troubled and this did not go unnoticed by Stoick.

"There's no need to look so glum, First Master, he'll be just fine," he said politely. "You know he won't sell the very same title as Iron Rock Jura so I think it's fair to say that they evenly matched."

"I'm not concerned about the match per say," said Hiccup the First. "I am more concerned about your mention of Drago's power in the arena."

Stoick nodded in understanding. "I forgot that you fought him yourself 800 years ago."

"It was one of the toughest battle of my life and why did a victorious, I was not surely able to defeat him."

Stoick looked at him curiously. "I've been meaning to ask did Drago wound up on Cove Island?"

"I'm sorry, but I made a sworn oath never to mention that with the Chronicler," said Hiccup the First apologetically. "For now let us concentrate on the in front of us."

* * *

Ultear and Orara had retreated a safe distance away from the Coliseum and was sitting on one of a large Viking statue is around the capital. They were observing the game through Ultear's crystal ball and saw Jellal had entered the arena.

"What? Jellal is fighting on the next match?" Ultear stared.

Orara looked at her with a concerned look. "You think he'll be found out?"

Ultear shook her head. "No, he's too smart about that happen. That is unless his pride becomes too much then he could ruin everything."

* * *

In the arena, Jellal and Jura were about to start the battle.

" _Dragon Tail's_ man of mystery going head-to-head with _Thor's Hammer_ Iron Rock!" Agnar yelled. "So let's get this final match underway right now!"

The horn signalling the beginning of the match blew and Jellal began unbuckling the strap connecting to his other staves. The likelihood was that he would never get another chance to help _Dragon Tail_ in the Games so he was going to make the most of it and defeat Jura.

He then began charging straight towards him with his staves floating next to him. Jura in waste any time and moved his arm causing pillars of rock to emerge from the ground, one of which struck Jellal knocking him upwards into the air.

"Whoa, that was awesome," said Snotlout.

Jura then fired more pillars from the ground and cut them to head straight towards Jellal, but he quickly recovered and avoided the first one. He then landed on one of the pillars to dodge another and then jumped again just as two pillars colliding with one another.

He then ran across one of the pillars dodging the other pillars as they try to hit him. Then he sent his staves and positions them around Jura just as he jumped to dodge an assortment of pillars. He then landed on one of the pillars as Jura looked around in confusion.

" _Five Layer Magic Circle: Sacred Song!_ " he yelled.

A Magic Circle appeared in front of him and that followed with five more Magic Circles appeared right above Jura. Magic power ran through the staves and seconds later a massive beam of magic ran through each and every one of the Magic Circles and down on top of Jura.

"That's nuts," said Alvin. "I can't believe he's copying Mystogan's magic."

"Very impressive," said Valka.

"Oh no, Jura," said Shanyla with a concerned voice.

"Don't you worry about him," said Lyon confidently. "I don't mean to belittle Heather's team, but I happen to think that Jura is the greatest Viking in all of Septem."

Jellal's attacker created a multitude of dust that hide Jura from view. Then suddenly launching the dust was a fist made of stone.

" _Three Layer Magic Circle: Mirror Water!_ " Jellal yelled.

Suddenly appearing in front of him were appearing Magic Circles. The stone fist stuck it and then reflected back towards Jura.

"He deflected it," said Hiccup.

"Awesome!" Snotlout cried.

However, Jura merely waved his hand created another Magic Circle. The moment the stone fist struck it the first was reflected back towards Jellal, much to his surprise.

"It headed back to him!" Hiccup yelled.

Jellal was unable to block it this time and it struck in with such force that he was sent flying across the arena. The crowd cheered with enthusiasm as they witnessed the flawless counter-attack.

"It's obvious why Jura is one of the Ten Viking Lords, because he rocks!" Agnar yelled enthusiastically.

"Yeah, that's the spirit Jura!" Ursula yelled as she spun one of her charges. "Now finish him off or else I'll spin you!"

"Hey, cut it out, Old Hag!" the spinning member yelled.

Ashelin merely laughed nervously.

Jellal picked himself up and it was becoming apparent that he would be able to beat Jura with someone else's magic.

" _Meteor!_ " Jellal yelled as a golden Magic Circle appeared beneath him and he was surrounded by a golden aura.

He then took off like a rocket across the arena and Jura recognised the magic at once.

"But that's…" he stared.

Jellal began running across the side of the arena and immense speed much to the astonishment of everyone watching.

"No way," Helga stared.

Jellal then turned around and headed straight towards Jura.

" _Iron Rock Wall!_ " Jura yelled creating a rock wall in front of him.

However, Jellal merely went around it and blindsided Jura. However, he quickly recovered and use the blocks from his wall and sent them straight towards Jellal. He began to zoom across the air as quickly as he could to avoid the blocks going as fast as he could.

"There you are!" Jura yelled pointing his fingers down.

Then one of the blocks sored overhead and struck Jellal stopping him right in his tracks. Jura smiled unaware of the smile that Jellal had under his mask.

"Perfect timing," he said.

Jura looked up and then saw seven golden Magic Circles above him in some sort of formation.

"There are magic circles in the sky," said Hiccup.

"How did they get their?" Snotlout asked.

"He must have drawn them while dodging Jura's attacks," Astrid theorised.

"May the Seven Stars bring judgement upon you," said Jellal looking at Jura. " _Grand Chariot!_ "

Suddenly raining down from the Magic Circles above them with billions of bright lights heading straight down onto Jura. However, Jura was more than prepared for this attack and slammed his hands together with incredible force.

" _Rock Mountain!_ " he roared.

Suddenly a large statue emerge from the ground, it was four times as big as Jura and looked as if it was wearing some kind of armour complete with an helmet and with stone protrusions jutting out, with a frowning look and bright lights visible in the holes acting as its eyes.

Jellal's attacks struck the statue and the entire arena disappeared a sea of dust. The impact was so powerful that it's a massive shock wave across the stands much to everyone's bewilderment. When the dust finally settled both Jura and Jellal were just standing there completely unharmed.

Jura smiled at Jellal, knowing who he was now. It would appear that his advice to Stoick fell on deaf ears. When they visited _Dragon Tail_ and the arrival of the Cove Island Team, he did not only inform Stoick of the return of the _Oración Seis_ and matters relating to Drago, but also Jellal's new Guild.

He had been wary of Jellal's new Guild, but he never suspected that he would impersonate a _Dragon Tail_ Viking. Perhaps he should have acted on his intuition.

Jellal looked at Jura and could only comprehend the power he had. He had to win this for the _Dragon Tail_ and so he took up a position. He hoped Ultear would forgive him, but he had to use it now. He started to bow and pointed his hands downwards, with all the fingers closed except the index and middle fingers.

* * *

Ultear and Orara watched as Jellal took up the stands and recognise in almost immediately. The two of them then started to panic, due to the fact unleashing an amount of power would blow his cover.

"Just what do you think you're doing Jellal?" Ultear yelled.

"This is bad," said Orara. "If he uses that spell he's going to blow his cover."

* * *

" _True Heavenly Body Magic: Grand Judgement!_ " Jellal yelled as he pointed his right hand upwards.

Suddenly dark clouds began to circle around the entire arena forming a cyclone as the sky darkened. Everyone in the stands just stared upwards and completely terrified.

"What has he done?" Jura stared.

* * *

The darkened sky began to expand across the capital and it was quite clear from Ultear and Orara's position.

"How could he be so stupid?" Ultear roared in frustration. "That is the problem with men! They can't control their ridiculous egos!"

"What are we going to do now?" Orara asked.

Ultear then looked at her with a menacing smile that chilled Orara to the bone.

* * *

In the arena Jellal was about to unleash his magic power upon Jura, but then stopped. From the casual observer it looked as if Jellal was injured even though no one actually him.

Jellal there was a massive pain in the stomach as if someone had just punched in their which causes concentration to shatter and the spell dispelled. The truth of the matter was it was Orara's _Sensory Link_ spell.

* * *

Poor Orara had used magic in order to link with Jellal to know what ever happened to her happened him. Just a moment ago Ultear had punched a hard in the stomach and now she was holding it wincing quite badly.

"Sorry, Orara, but this hurts me a lot more than it hurts you," said Ultear.

"I doubt that," Orara winced.

Ultear then punched in the stomach yet again.

* * *

In the arena, Jellal was now down on his knees clutching his stomach painfully.

"I don't know what happened ladies and gentlemen, but all of a sudden Mystogan is writhing in agony," said Agnar.

* * *

Ultear was now holding a bat over Orara's head.

"Do you really have to do this?" Orara asked nervously.

"I'm just making my mind to Jellal," he said and then slammed back right on top of the head.

* * *

In the arena, Jellal felt a massive pain on his head as if something hard struck it.

"It looks as if Mystogan is suffering from a major headache," Agnar frowned. "Could have Jura's previous attacks have injured him more than we realised."

* * *

Orara was clutching her head painfully, but Ultear wasn't quite done yet.

"Oh, it's not over yet," she said towering over Orara.

"I can't take it anymore!" Orara cried.

* * *

Jellal felt the same as it felt as if someone was beating him silly over and over again. Eventually he could not take any more collapsed much to everyone's bewilderment and _Dragon Tail's_ dismay.

"And that's it folks," said Agnar as the horn blew signalling the end of the match. "I'm not quite sure, but Mystogan is out of commission."

* * *

Ultear had finally stopped beating for Orara and gave her an apologetic look.

"Sorry about that, but we couldn't afford to allow Jellal attract too much attention," she said.

Orara was unable to speak she winced over in pain.

* * *

"Jura Rockfist gets the win!" said Agnarr.

The crowd cheered, but Jura was still quite perplexed about what happened.

"Well that's a wrap for day one of the Grand Magic Games," said Agnar. "Let's see how the teams stack up on the scoreboard."

The scoreboard showed the emblems Guild names and points so far

1st Sabretooth: 20P

2nd Raven Tail: 18P

3rd Thor's Hammer: 16P

4th Blue Pegasus: 14P

5th Valkyrie Sword: 3P

6th Blazing Fenris: 2P

7th Dragon Tail B: 1P

8th Dragon Tail A: 0P

"What? Team A has zero points and team B only has one?" Helga stared.

"This is a disaster," said Fishlegs.

"Did I tell you guys that we never should have been here the first place?" Ingrid groaned.

"It's been exciting day hasn't it?" said Agnar looking at the other commentators. "The talent level this year is off the charts. As we expected the _Sabretooth_ Guild is in first place while to _Dragon Tail_ team are in dead last."

"Yes but remember it is only the first day," Johann reminded. "Here's hoping that we'll see some dramatic comebacks in the days ahead."

"Yeah, _Blue Pegasus_ still has a chance to win, I can't wait to see what install for day two," said Ase.

"I'd like to thank you for joining me today Mr Johann and Miss Ase," said Agnar.

"It was my pleasure," said Johann.

"I had fun, see you tomorrow," Ase waved.

Jellal battered and bruised was making his way back to his team with a lot of laughs from the crowd in the stands.

"Good grief," Astrid sighed.

"So what exactly happened down there?" Hiccup asked.

"I assume that it was Orara doing," Astrid theorised.

Jellal's team weren't too pleased with the outcome of the match.

"Way to make our team look bad," Eret grunted.

"You try your best," said Valka positively.

"Man, you're pathetic," said Alvin.

"Sorry that I let you guys down," said Jellal apologetically.

Hiccup and the others were in the stands and saw that Ruby had re-joined them.

"Ah, hey, Ruby," said Hiccup.

"You feeling better?" Astrid asked.

Ruby nodded. "Much better thanks."

They all looked at the scoreboard and the all-new they have a lot of catching up to do they wanted to become number one in Septem.

"Our team is in last place," Ruby sighed.

* * *

' _The first day of the Grand Magic Games was a disappointment_. _The_ Dragon Tail _Guild couldn't have gotten off to a worse start. Little did we know that there was something terrible going on behind the scenes_.'

Throk just stood there looking down into the arena. "It's finally bearing fruit."

In the medical wing Stormfly shot up right. She had just had a terrible nightmare, but it looks so real and it scared her to the bone.

' _I am writing to you now that the Grand Magic Games are over they ended a few days ago. To my dear friend Ruby Heartfull, from Fishlegs Ingerman_.'

Hiccup patted Ruby on the back. "There's nothing to worry about Ruby. We'll get back on top, if it's the last thing we'll do."


	36. Chariot

_Dragon Tail_ soon return to the inn they were staying at. It was night and they found that Agatha was there partially drunk looking at them with disappointment.

"Way to suck it out there losers," said Agatha slightly woozy. "Seriously? How can members of the great _Dragon Tail_ be so pathetic it was embarrassing?"

"Maybe you should have been there to cheer us on instead of hitting every pub in walking distance?" Snotlout grumbled.

"I did cheer for you guys!" Agatha glared. "All the pubs have lacrima vision and boozes a hell of a lot cheaper."

"Settle down and let's try and celebrate this terrible defeat," said Stoick holding his tankard of mead up.

"You're getting wasted dear," said Valka.

"This has certainly been an eventful day hasn't it?" said Astrid.

"I think it's safe to say that our work is cut out for us," said Hiccup as he ate.

"In fairness it was mostly _Raven Tail's_ fault that we lost," Toothless pointed out.

"Hey, I don't see Ruby or Ragnar, did they leave?" Fishlegs asked.

"I haven't seen them since the days match," said Helga.

"Well, can you blame them?" said Spitelout folding his arms. "You saw how badly they lost today."

"They'll show up once they're done licking their wounds," said Gobber confidently.

"They looked fine to me, but do you think we should check on them or something?" said Gustav.

"No, they should find themselves," said Heather. "The two of them were utterly humiliated by _Raven Tail_ and wounds like that are hard to heal."

"Don't worry we heal fast," said Ragnar's voice.

Heather turned around and saw both Ruby and Ragnar standing behind.

"We appreciate the gesture, but we're good," said Ruby with a smile.

"Hey, Ruby," said Fishlegs getting to his feet. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm good now," she assured him. "From a fact I'm more fired up than ever."

"How are Merrill and Stormfly?" Ragnar asked looking at Adelaide.

"They're both still pretty weak," she sighed. "Gothi hasn't left their side."

"Listen up!" Stoick yelled getting to his feet and then raised his tankard up high. "Now that all of you are here, I'd like to make a toast! Today we last and you know what that means don't you? Tomorrow we climb to the top, big _Dragon Tail_ never backs down and we're not starting now! The greatest gilding Septem is us!"

Everyone then cheered at the top of their voices.

Jellal had decided to stay outside rather than join them in the inn, after all he wasn't officially a _Dragon Tail_ member.

The other operations of the inn were slightly confused by this cheering.

"What gives?" said someone at the bar staring at them. "Did they drink so much that their bottom of the barrel?"

"Don't look at me," the bartender shrugged.

* * *

Meanwhile at the palace, Throk was on his knees bowing to King Macario, who was sitting on his throne.

"Your Majesty, I take it that you enjoyed the first day of the games," he said.

"The magic battle was quite good," King Macario nodded.

"If your Majesty has any requests concerning about tomorrow's battle portion I will gladly arrange it," he said.

King Macario pondered for a moment. "I would like to see Bacchus for sure make certain to include him in the match up."

"Any preference on his opponent?" Throk asked.

"How about the _Dragon Tail_ member, the one that can transform," King Macario suggested. "What was the name again?"

"But of course your Majesty," said Throk having a good idea he knew which _Dragon Tail_ members he was talking about. "I promise a magic battle you won't forget."

King Macario nodded. "I'm looking forward to it."

"If you have no other requests, I should take my leave."

"Thank you for your service, rest well Captain."

Throk soon exited the throne room and started to make his way through the deep dark corridors.

"Sleep is the furthest thing from my mind," he said to himself. "There's work to do. I can't afford to rest when it's so close to being finished."

He then laughed to himself.

* * *

Meanwhile at the inn _Dragon Tail_ were staying at, Hiccup had been challenged by Wartihog again. However, the outcome was now completely different, he was able to take them down with one. Wartihog was now unconscious on the floor with a splitting headache.

"I think you might need some more training," said Hiccup looking down at Thuggory.

"KO!" Gobber yelled.

"What happened Wartihog, lose your footing?" Spitelout laughed.

"A seven-year training gap and this guy catches up in three months?" Speedfist stared.

"Have you ever felt completely outclassed?" Sven asked.

* * *

Agatha was busy drinking the other members of _Dragon Tail_ under the table and was succeeding tremendously.

Then a black haired man approached the table, he wore baggy brown trousers, a pair of sandals. He was completely bare-chested exposing his muscular chest, instead his arms and shoulders were covered in dark blue armour plates, which joined on the upper part of his back and are topped by a wide, arched armoured collar in correspondence to his nape. On his back he wore a bright lead _Blazing Fenrir_ Guild emblem and he looked as nearly drunk as Agatha.

"Now this seems like a party worth joining," said the stranger.

Agatha looked up. "Oh yeah?"

The stranger than slammed a glass of alcohol onto the table and looked at Agatha in the eyes. "How about a couple of drinks to pass the time?" he said.

Agatha smiled. "Ah, so was skipping the introductions and going straight to the fun part? You got something to prove do ya?"

"Hey, pal, take some free advice and walk away," Spitelout advised.

Gobber nodded. "Her alcohol tolerance is about as sTorng as her father."

* * *

However, it was Agatha who was got drunk under the table and the other guy was completely unharmed, albeit a bit more dizzy than normal.

"You've got to be kidding me?" Gobber and Spitelout stared.

The stranger from _Blazing Fenrir_ laughed as he finished his drink.

"I don't believe it!" Agatha stared.

"He regularly drunk under the table," said Phlegma in bewilderment.

"I've never seen Agatha drink until she drops before," said Speedfist.

The guy then took Agatha's bikini top and then started to make his way to the door. "Thanks, for the trophy hot stuff," he said spinning the bikini top around his fingers.

Immediately Gobber and Spitelout rushed onto their feet.

"Do you have a death wish?" Spitelout roared.

"If Gildarts finds out he's going to be pissed!" Gobber yelled.

He just laughed.

"Handed over!" Gobber demanded.

"We don't care of your drunk!" Spitelout roared.

Then the two of them charge at the stranger and Gobber swung his hammer straight at him. Then the strangest thing happened, the guy pretty much collapsed forward and then jumped back up hitting the two of them with the back of his fists and knocking them to the ground. He then bend over backwards and slammed the palm of his hand onto their faces and slamming their heads right through the floorboards.

"This guy is out of his mind!" Speedfist stared.

"Get up!" Gustav yelled.

"Is that you Bacchus," said Astrid approaching the drunk.

The guy then jumped back onto his feet and looked at Astrid with a crazed smile. "Well, well, if it isn't Astrid Hofferson," he said before hiccupping.

"Still a drunk," Astrid noted.

"And when I'm sober you will still be super-hot," he laughed.

"You know how to flatter girl," Astrid grumbled folding her arms.

"You know him?" Ruby blinked.

"I heard that you went into hiding a while back," said Bacchus looking at Astrid. "Seems like such a shame."

"Something like that," said Astrid rolling her eyes. "What about you? I hear you're actually competing in the Magic Games."

Bacchus laughed. "At first I saw this as a little trip to get hammered and sample the local colour," he said. "But after watching Warcry make a fool out of himself and our Guild, my spirit got a taste of vengeance. I'm entering the games as a reserve member and I'm planning to cause all kinds of trouble." He then started to make his way to the door rather dizzily. "My soul is shaken and stirred, maybe we'll have our own little part in the battle round. It'll be nice to settle the score."

He then left the inn and Ruby turned towards Astrid.

"Who was walking distillery?" she asked.

"The members of _Blazing Fenrir_ , he's one of their S-Class Vikings, I've run in on to him on jobs more than a few times over the years and I know his strength all too well. Drunken Hawk Bacchus, Master of the Drunken Chop Hanging Palm, we fought on many occasions, but there's never been a clear winner."

"What?" Ruby stared. "You mean he's a sTorng as you."

"This will certainly make our job a little bit tougher," said Hiccup.

"No joke, we can't afford to lose any points tomorrow or else we'll be pretty much out of the running" said Ragnar.

* * *

Meanwhile at the firmly within the Coliseum, Stormfly was telling Goth of her vision. Merrill was still sound asleep not fully recovered yet.

"So tell me about this vision of yours. What exactly did you say?" Gothi asked.

"It was confusing, because there was only bits and pieces. They're never very clear," she said sadly. "There was a man in white armour, an enormous magic circle."

"Can you recall any more?"

"I saw something that defied all reason," she said shaking uncontrollably.

Gothi looks slightly intrigued now. "Would you mean by that?"

Stormfly looked up at her. "I saw the palace crashing down and as it happened I thought I heard someone singing… Ruby."

* * *

The next day, everyone was in the Coliseum for the start of the second day of the Games.

"It's day two of the Grand Magic Games and the stands are exploding with excitement!" Agnar announced over the cheers the roaring crowd. "Joining me once again is Johann and I knew special guest, the greatest hunter in the land Theron Blackbark!"

"It's an honour to be here," said Theron.

"Now let's start today's events with a game we call 'Chariot'!" Agnar yelled. Then entire crowd cheered their heads off. "Now just like yesterday one competitor of each team will be competing."

Hiccup's team frowned slightly.

"I'll do it," said Snotlout flexing his muscles.

"Like we need a musclebound idiot in charge," Ragnar grumbled.

"The name Chariot indicated the game of speed," said Hiccup. "I'm the fact is among us so I'll be taking part."

"Good luck," said Astrid.

"I'll make sure that _Dragon Tail_ gets the respect it deserves," Hiccup assured as he made his way down.

"Do you think he can do it?" Ruby asked looking at Astrid.

Astrid looked at her. "If there's one thing I've learned all the time I was in Dragon tail is and never underestimate Hiccup."

At Alvin's team they too were deciding who to send among them was Agatha, who was acting as a reserve member for them.

"If Hiccup's taking part then I should take part," said Eret.

"Sure go-ahead," said Alvin.

At the _Sabretooth_ team Sting smiled upon seeing Hiccup was going to compete.

"I'll been waiting for this," he said and started to make his leave. "I'll take this one guys."

"Show them what you've got, Sting!" Hookfang cheered.

Of the _Raven Tail's_ team, Lexsar looked at the fiendish looking elf.

"Take care of them, Black Snake" she said.

"Hoping you would say that," he said licking his lips.

At _Blazing Fenrir'_ team, Bacchus was stood there wobbling back and forth.

"I'll take this one," he said.

"Show them were made of," said Thuggory.

"The competitors have been selected," said Agnar as all the comparisons made their way into the arena. "From _Dragon Tail Team A_ , Hiccup Haddock. From _Dragon Tail Team B_ , Eret Eretson. From _Sabretooth,_ Sting Holywing. From _Blue Pegasus,_ Olatrand. From _Thor's Hammer,_ Veger. From _Raven Tail_ , Black Snake. From _Valkyrie Sword_ , Kelali. From _Blazing Fenrir_ , Bacchus."

Soon all the competitors were making their way to the centre awaiting further instructions.

"I'm going to show you how powerful I truly am," said Sting looking at Hiccup with a smirk.

"I'm sure you will," said Hiccup calmly. He then turned his attentions upon Black Snake and wondered what _Raven Tail_ was going to do this time. He then turned to Eret. "Watch out for him, chances are he'll do something underhanded."

Eret nodded. "Yeah, I reckon you're right."

"You should be more worried about yourself," said Black Snake.

Hiccup narrowed his eyes. "That may be how your guild works, but in our as we look out for one another."

"Now it's time to get this game started," said Agnar.

And then all eight of them vanished into thin air.

"What happened to them?" Ruby stared over the stands.

"Look," Ragnar pointed.

They looked up at the monitors and saw that all the competitors had appeared in the marketplace within the capital. They were standing on a large Chariot that appear to be connected to several others making all the way towards the Coliseum.

"Now it's time for the rules," said Agnar. "The point of this game is to reach the final goal without falling off. Simple, right? Wrong, the chariot will be constantly in motion and though they go on a snail's pace one false move and it's all over. Then whichever surviving team survives this rough-and-tumble tour through Crocus and crosses the finish line in the Coliseum will receive points depending upon their positions."

"I see," said Olatrand. "A simple straightforward race where the competitors are free to use magic however they wish."

"So if anyone falls off those chariots their disqualified," said Astrid folding her arms.

"You think _Raven Tail_ will try and knock Hiccup off?" Ragnar asked.

"Hiccup will know what to expect, I'm sure he has a plan in motion," said Astrid confidently.

"This sounds like fun," said Bacchus with a small hiccup.

"Now let's start the game!" Agnar yelled. "Competitors get ready, get set…" Hiccup and the others altered starting positions. "GO!"

Then a horn blew and the chariot began to move slowly. However, a split second later Hiccup zoomed ahead.

"What just happened?" Snake stared.

"He just took off," said Veger.

"Let's take a closer look," said Agnar.

The last few seconds from the monitor then appeared in slow motion. It revealed that Hiccup's prosthetic now have a wheel which was they didn't notice earlier and flames were shooting out of his hands and it skidded across his wheel ahead of the pack.

"I don't believe in ladies and gentlemen, but Hiccup Haddock has just taken the lead in a flurry of flames," said Agnar.

"Ah, he quickly switched his prosthetic to one with a wheel attachment and then uses flames of the afterburner to push himself forward," Johann explained.

"Hiccup was always good at thinking outside the box," said Theron.

"What a strategy," said Agnar. "It will certainly be hard for the competitors to catch up."

"Hiccup is known by his ingenuity and I must say that I was not expecting anything less from the boy," said Johann.

"Looks like have to play catch up," said Eret and started to chase Hiccup down.

"Now where you're leaving me in the dust," said Sting growled running after them.

"And now the competitors are on the move," said Agnar. He then turned to look at Johann. "So, Johann, I've heard an interesting rumour that Hiccup was once Sting Holywing's master."

"I must say the first time that I've heard of such a thing," said Johann.

"Then maybe I exclaim all the rumours for you see Sting was part of our clan," said Theron. "After Hiccup protected us from the Dark Viking Guild, losing his leg in the process, that were after Sting we healed him. At the Sting was a young boy, who only got started on the journey of becoming a Dragon Slayer. As payment for healing him, Hiccup offered to teach young Sting a few things in the ways of magic."

"Then you better keep watching folks, because chances are you'll be seeing some fireworks against master and student," said Agnar.

Astrid and the others watched as Hiccup stormed ahead of the others.

"He's doing very well," said Ruby.

"I knew we had a plan," Astrid smiled.

"Hopefully this will get us back on top," said Ragnar.

"I still say I could have done better," Snotlout grunted.

"Hiccup Haddock is really storming ahead from the pack," said Agnar. "But Eret and Sting are right on his tail, but will they be able to catch up to him in time?"

"That's my boy!" Stoick laughed.

"Go Eret! Go!" Skullcrusher yelled.

"That's Hiccup, he always had a surprise up his sleeve!" Toothless cheered.

Eret was running as fast they could catch up with Hiccup, but Sting was running right beside him trying to do the same.

"Out of my way you big lug," said Sting shoving Eret aside. "I want Hiccup."

"Sorry, pal, but you'll have to get in line," said Eret shoving him back.

"Come on, Sting! The pedal to the metal, don't let this chump beat you!" Hookfang roared.

"He might have a hard time doing that if he can't catch up to the guy," said Skull.

"They're really going at it," said Valka.

"That Sting is a real chip on his shoulder," Heather noted. "He's not really showing any of Hiccup's qualities."

"Only because he learned from him doesn't mean that he would necessarily take them to heart," said Alan folding his arms.

"This raises his neck and neck as it gets folks," said Agnar. "In first place is Hiccup, but Eret and Sting are closing the gap and passed. Behind them is Black Snake from _Raven Tail_ followed closely by _Blue Pegasus'_ Olatrand, Thor's Hammer Veger and _Valkyrie Sword's_ Kelali."

Olatrand was running as fast as he could, but he was out of shape. "Feel the burn!" he yelled.

"I'm surprised that you dwarfs can run for this long," said Veger.

"Don't underestimate us dwarfs short stuff, especially as female dwarf's," said Kelail.

"In last place is _Blazing Fenrir'_ reserved remember Bacchus," said Agnar.

Bacchus was at the back of the line running as fast as he could, but there was easier said than done since he had a massive hangover.

"Man, that guy is loud," he said. "Can't you let them and work of last night boozing in peace."

"Feel my _Wave Boost_!" Veger yelled and suddenly got a massive boost similar to Hiccup with his magic.

However, the difference was he had no wheel prosthetic so he didn't zoom ahead like Hiccup. But unlike Hiccup he was able to neutralise the magic powers from those behind him very easily.

"Good luck using any magic while you're inside my shockwave!" Veger boasted.

"Weren't you listening before?" said Kelail and then promptly ran to the side of the chariot and began running across the side. "Don't mess with girl power!"

"There it is," said Agnar. "Kelail's _Gravity Change Magic_ which is being generated by that necklace around her neck. She was able to dodge Veger's attack and is now making her way towards the leaders."

"A Magic Neutralising Wave, huh? In that case…" said Olatrand reaching into his jacket pocket. He then grabbed two vials and stuck them up his nose. "Watch my _Swiftness Parfum_ , point-blank absorption style!"

The entire crowd cheered their heads off as he zoomed ahead past Veger.

"Man!" he yelled.

"Whoa, they're really going all-out, aren't they? Get my soul all stirred up you know," said Bacchus. "Guess I might as well put a little effort into this race too! Check this out!"

He then slammed his foot down onto the chariot shut it to pieces. This caused a massive chain reaction across the other chariots knocking everyone off their feet including the leaders.

"I don't believe it!" Agnar yelled in astonishment. "Bacchus demolished the chariots with brute force!"

The crowd cheered even louder at the carnage in front of them.

"Amazing," said Astrid stunned. "He's even sTornger than before."

"What's with this guy?" Snotlout stared.

"Catch you later loses!" Bacchus yelled rushing ahead past everyone. "Try another falloff before the finish!"

"That was a dirty trick," said Olatrand completely out of wind.

"You said it," said Veger a bit dazed from the attack.

"No one makes me fly!" Kelail yelled.

Bacchus then raised past Hiccup and the others had a tremendous speed and soon reached the Colosseum and ran across the finishing line.

"We have a winner!" Agnar cried.

"Shaken and stirred baby!" Bacchus yelled at the crowd cheered.

" _Blazing Fenrir_ scores 10 points what a come from behind victory!" Agnar cried.

"I didn't know _Fenrir_ had someone like him in the Guild," said Stoick.

"Nice going boys," Mogadon smiled.

Thuggory and the rest cheered for Bacchus.

"I may not be get the gold, but I certainly get the silver," said Hiccup as he got back up.

However, when he tried to take a step he completely collapsed. He looked down at his crew and saw that his prosthetic was missing.

"Where's my leg?" Hiccup stared in horror.

"Right here," said a sinister voice. Hiccup looked up and saw Black Snake standing in front of him with his prosthetic in his hands. "Looks like you won't be running anymore."

He then promptly snapped the leg in two much to Hiccup's horror.

"Oh no, Black Snake has completely destroyed Hiccup's leg," said Agnar with disappointment. "Looks like _Dragon Tail Team A_ be stuck with zero points again."

"What a Cheat!" Ruby yelled.

"It's technically not cheating," Astrid growled.

"Still it is pretty low," said Ragnar clenching his fist.

Black Snake then promptly ran across the chariots and ran across the goal.

"And he takes the second-place position," Agnar continued.

Soon the other competitors ran across the finishing line. "Kelail's in third, Veger take fourth and Olatrand comes in fifth, but what happened to Sting and Eret."

"Looks like Sting won't be finishing anytime soon," Johann noted.

Everyone turned and lacrmia screens and saw that Sting had been knocked off the chariots no doubt from Bacchus' attack.

"What an upset for _Sabretooth_ ," said Agnar with disappointment. "According to the rules that is an automatic disqualification which means Sting's is now in last place."

"And it would seem as if Eret is helping Hiccup to his foot," Theron noted.

Eret was indeed helping Hiccup by placing an arm over his shoulder.

"You could've taken second-place, you know that right?" said Hiccup.

"And you leave you here, I think not," said Eret as he started to make their way down the chariots slowly. "Besides, I think you've earned a few points."

"I guess every little helps," Hiccup sighed.

Sting just watched with disappointment as they slowly made their way across the chariots.

"Talk about un-cool," he said with disgust. "Anyone can see that you have got no strength left. You're just making fools of yourselves."

"Says the guy who was knocked off the chariots by a drunk," Hiccup countered.

Sting narrowed his eyes. "Fine, whatever. I didn't need this win so you guys can have it. _Sabretooth i_ t's just gonna keep on racking up the points after this. In the end one measly little point isn't going to change the outcome."

Eret smirked. "One point isn't something to scoff at, kid. Don't you forget that?"

Sting just looked at them reluctantly as they kept on making their way across the chariots. "I don't get it," he said finally. "Can you explain something to me?"

Hiccup and Eret looked back at him as they kept on moving.

"Why do you even bother entering the tournament?" Sting asked. "Seriously? I mean you're nothing like the _Dragon Tail_ I knew growing up. You're obsessed with how tough you are and what the rest of the world thinks of you."

The members of _Dragon Tail_ from the stands just looked up as Sting's words echoed across the Colosseum.

"What happened to the _Dragon Tail_ of my childhood?" Sting continued. "The Guild that did whatever the hell it wanted… whatever it wanted. They never cared about what anyone else thought or said about them."

"You really have forgotten everything I taught you or else you would have seen it," Hiccup sighed. "I could care less about our reputation, but what I cannot ignore is our friends."

Sting looked up.

"The ones that waited for us all the years we were gone," Hiccup continued. "Who fought through the pain and the heartache. They were humiliated, but even so they stayed sTorng and they kept our Guild Together. We are doing this for all of them and were going to make sure that everyone here knows… that _Dragon Tail_ never gave up, not from instant! So there's no way I'm going to give up now!"

Then all the members of _Dragon Tail_ burst into tears upon hearing Hiccup's words.

"Oh, Hiccup," they cried.

Eret looked at Hiccup and smiled at him, because he shared the same sentiment.

Sting just stood there in bewilderment as the members of _Dragon Tail_ felt Hiccup's words and into their hearts both those that stayed behind and those that were trapped. They just watched as Hiccup and Eret kept on moving, not stopping for an instant and until they eventually reached the finish line.

"They did it! _Dragon Tail A_ Hiccup had crossed the finish line and bag sixth place and scores two points!" Agnar yelled.

"At least we finally got points on the board," said Hiccup looking exhausted.

Eret then crossed the finish line after he pushed Hiccup across it. " _Dragon Tail B_ Eret takes seventh place and scored one point!" Agnar continued.

Hiccup's words also touched the hearts from the crowds.

"Now those boys have some moxie."

"Yeah, that was awesome."

"Well, there gutty I'll give them that."

"They're from _Dragon Tail_ , aren't they? Maybe their Guilds not so bad after all."

"They caught me right in the feels, man."

"You know, I might just losing to those guys now."

The entire crowd and began to cheer and clap for _Dragon Tail._ They might have failed to achieve much in the game, but with the crowd cheering and clapping for them they prove that they were the real winners.

"You rock _Dragon Tail_!"

"You just got yourself a new fan!"

The members of _Dragon Tail_ then felt tears coming out of their eyes unable to hold them back.

Hiccup the First looked at Stoick. "Your son really has a sTorng spirit," he said.

"And I can't be any more proud of," said Stoick looking down at his son proudly. "He's managed to renew our spirits and given us the momentum we need."

* * *

Sting was making his way back to the stands and could hear the crowd cheering outside

"Crowd favourite Sting was disqualified so _Sabretooth_ gets zero points," said Agnar's voice.

Sting just stood there. "You're doing this for your friends?" he scoffed. "That's a load of crap and you know it."

* * *

Everyone then turned the scoreboard with changed considerably after that game.

1st Raven Tail: 26p

2nd Sabretooth: 20P

2nd Thor's Hammer: 20P

4th Blue Pegasus: 17P

5th Blazing Fenrir: 12p

6th Valkyrie Sword: 9p

7th Dragon Tail B: 2P

7th Dragon Tail A: 2P

"And _Raven Tail_ has jumped in first place which leaves Sabretooth tied for second with Thor's Hammer," said Agnar.

"Wait, we're not first? How did we fall behind?" Hookfang stared.

"Sting was disqualified when he felt the Chariot the last game," Skull explained.

* * *

Hiccup was now in the infirmary completely exhausted from the game. Merrill too was unconscious in her bed, but Stormfly had made a full recovery now.

"So, you're sure Hiccup will be okay?" Ruby asked looking at Gothi.

"Why would he be? He's just exhausted," said Gothi. "Gobber has already provided an extra leg for him which you can wear when he wakes up. Stop worrying and let him get some rest."

"What about Merrill?" Ruby asked.

"She's coming along nicely," said Gothi.

Ruby then looked down at Stormfly, who was looking at her curiously. "At least you're up now Stormfly. How are you feeling?"

"Fine," Stormfly assured.

Ruby smiled. "I'm so glad to hear that."

Ruby then started to leave the infirmary. "The others away so I'll check back later okay?"

Once Ruby was gone Gothi turned to Stormfly. "You're not going to say anything to her?"

"I just don't think it'll do any good. They'd never believe me," she said simply. "Not about a future like that anyway."

Gothi merely shrugged. "I suppose it's just as well that you don't then. Besides you don't seem to believe in yourself."

"You're right. I don't believe it, how can I?" she said looking deeply confused. "It's too bizarre to be true. It was in a premonition just a silly dream."

* * *

Meanwhile in the arena, the first Match of the Day was beginning.

"And now the part you're all been waiting for the battle portion," said Agnar. "Today's first match pits against Black Snake, the dark python our first place of our first place Guild _Raven Tail_. Against _Thor's Hammer_ own Torn Wolfbane."

Torn then roared like a wolf.

"It's serpent versus hound. Which one of them will end up as top dog?" said Agnar.

"I expect to see a clean fight there understand?" said Johann.

"Normally I would cheer for an elf, but I am inclined to vote for Torn," said Theron.

Ruby then joined the team just in time to see the first battle.

"Hey, guys, did I miss anything?" Ruby asked.

"They've been taking their sweet time," Snotlout grumbled.

"It's just about to start," said Ragnar. "Torn is going in for Lyon's Guild."

"It's the _Raven Tail_ Viking you should watch, he's the same one that robbed Hiccup of any a chance to get more points," said Astrid.

"Now we know he won't play fair," said Ruby as she joined them.

Ruby then turned her attention to the stands which contained the _Raven Tail_ Guild. She saw Flare grinning away at her, but notice that she was heavily bruised and she was very certain that she didn't cause them the last battle.

"Yeah, I see you too, Red," she said with a sinister smile.

"Flare," Lexsar warned. "I won't tolerate any more embarrassment. You do realise who you owe your victory too don't you?"

"Yes, sir," she said nervously. "But that redhead bimbo won't staring at me."

Lexsar then grabbed her cheeks. "Are you asking for another beating?" she growled.

"N-no," said Flare fearfully. "I won't argue again. Please, have mercy on me?"

Ruby saw the brutal way that Lexsar had treated her and had a good feeling that she was the one that caused the bruises on Flare.

Then the horn blew signalling the start of the match and immediately Torn's fingernails expanded into claw.

"Ultra Poison Jellyfish Poison Nails: Mega Mega Jellyfish!" he roared.

He then began to swing his claw-like nails at Black Snake, who dodged them flawlessly. He then jumped back and suddenly turn to stand and vanished much to Torn's surprise.

"He just vanished," he stared.

"You fool, he's using _Mimi Magic_!" Jura yelled.

" _Sand Rebellion!_ " Black Snake yelled.

Suddenly a massive tornado stand erupted around Torn spinning him around wildly. He then reappeared once the spell dispersed with a sinister grin on his face.

"That freaks stole me spell," Wartihog stared.

"He must be able to mimic different types of magic or something," said Phlegma.

" _Mimi Magic_ ," said Hiccup the First looking intrigued. "I haven't seen that in a while."

"Come on, Torn tear him up!" Gustav yelled.

"Beat him to a pulp!" Stoick roared.

Torn soon recovered and howled. "You're stronger than I thought you were," he said.

"You not so bad yourself," said Black Snake.

"I wish I had a cool name like Black Snake," said Torn.

"It's just my codename," he said.

"You mean you lied to me!" he roared.

Black Snake blinked. "What are you talking about?"

"All right, if I beat you you tell me what your real name is deal?" said Torn as he swiped at him with his claws.

"I'm fine with that," said Black Snake as he dodged each and every attack. "But what if I win?"

"Then I'll tell you my super special secret that nobody knows!"

Black Snake smiled. "Intriguing. It's a deal!"

"Our competitors seem to have struck a friendly wager," Agnar noted.

"I wouldn't consider their secrets a prize," Johann frowned.

"It is only going to make the match a lot more interesting," said Theron.

Bacchus looked intrigued by this development. "A little gambler? This could make things interesting."

Everyone watched the battle intensified as Torn moved even faster swing attacks while Black Snake kept on dodging them.

"Great idea," Snotlout smiled.


	37. Snotlout vs Bacchus

The battle between Black Snake and Torn was still waging on and now the two of them had made a wager the battle grew more intense. However, no matter how many times Torn tried to slash Black Snake with his nails like claws he was unable to hit him.

"Come on, pal I've got a 100 Gil riding on this one," said someone from the stands.

However Black Snake then created a powerful tornado that hit them from view. Everyone watched with bated breath as the sand began to dispel and found that Torn was now on his back on the arena floor.

"The dust has settled and we can clearly see Torn on the ground," said Agnar as the horn blew signalling the end of the match. "That's it folks. Black Snake slides away with another win for _Raven Tail_."

Torn's team groaned in despair while the _Raven Tail_ Guild just smiled happily as the crowd began to cheer.

"Very impressive," Astrid frowned.

"No doubt," Ragnar nodded. "I've got the feeling that he was holding back."

"Not only do these guys cheat to win they have real power on the team," said Ruby.

"Look at the scoreboard and you'll see that _Raven Tail_ are fiercely climbing to the top now with 36 points," said Agnar.

"And _Thor's Hammer_ have 20," Johann added.

"This is certainly an interesting development," said Theron.

Torn was in tears, because he knew what was coming next.

"Now you owe me a secret," said Black Snake.

"It's my sock," Torn cried pointing to his feet and for the first time they noticed that only one of his feet were covered by a sock. "It just disappeared and it's been driving me crazy, because I feel as if his right under my nose but I can't seem to find it anywhere. I am so ashamed! I've been kicking myself for months now."

 _Thor's Hammer_ were now completely embarrassed with very good reason. Torn apparently wasn't aware of the fact that he was wearing it around his neck.

Black Snake then nearly tapped his chest and Torn looked down and saw it right there. Tears then began to flow out of his eyes.

"As it really been right here all along?" he cried. "I don't know how to thank you! I'm just so happy to see it again!"

The crowd just looked at him with blank expressions clearly unable to comprehend with his stupidity.

"Have you ever seen anything like this before?" Agnar asked looking at the other commentators.

"Thankfully no," said Johann rolling his eyes.

"And I hope I never have to see it again," said Theron shaking his head in disbelief.

"I didn't think it was possible that there was someone even dumber than the twins," Snotlout grumbled.

"Yeah, I didn't think it was possible either," Ragnar nodded.

"At least he's a man of his word," Astrid shrugged.

"Yeah, no wonder he hasn't told anyone about it," said Ruby shaking her head.

Ursula was quite annoyed as well. "I'll spin you," she growled.

Black Snake then extended his hand much to the surprise of everyone.

"What is this?" Agnar blinked. "After fighting fang and claw are these two going to shake hands?"

Torn extended his hand, but then Black Snake snagged his sock that was around his neck. A split second later he then torn to shreds right in front of Torn's eyes.

"Guess not," said Agnar.

Torn then had complete mental breakdown. "No!"

Torn's team who were embarrassed a moment ago were now enraged as was Astrid and her team. The _Raven Tail_ Guild just merely laughed their heads off or at least Flare and Derav did it was hard to tell from the others.

"To add insult to injury Black Snake rips off Torn's prize possession," said Agnar.

"You should never have told me how much that stinky rag meant to you," said Black Snake as he turned his back on Torn and walked off. "Dumb move."

Ursula then turned on a member of _Thor's Hammer_. "You there spin from me," he ordered spinning her finger around.

The poor guy and found himself spinning like a top and it turned out to be the same guy she spun yesterday. "Why me?" he cried.

"What is his problem?" Rubbella glared. "That was completely uncalled for!"

"Once again _Raven Tail_ is showing their true colours," Gobber grumbled.

"What else would you expect these are the kind of people who would work treat like Excellinor?" Spitelout glared.

"The poor guy was already beat that was just mean," said Toothless.

* * *

"Let's move on to round two for today's head-to-head battles," said Agnar. "First from _Blazing Fenrir_ it's a guy who has the toughest alcohol tolerance in the world. It's Bacchus!" The entire crowd cheered as he made his way onto the arena. "Writing a member of _Team Dragon Tail A_!"

"So it's one of us," said Astrid folding her arms.

"But what if they call out Hiccup name?" Ruby frowned.

"Then he has to fight with these recovered or not," said Ragnar.

"I've heard stories about this guy, he supposed to be as strong as Astrid isn't he?" Snotlout asked.

As Alvin's team, Eret was holding Agatha back so that he would jump into the arena.

"Hey! Someone avenge me!" she yelled at the top of her voice. "I don't care who it is!"

"Try and relax, Agatha," said Valka.

"I'm not sure whether Ruby or Snotlout would be able to beat him," said Heather grimly. "For that matter I doubt Hiccup could in his current situation."

* * *

Throk had joined King Macario who was enjoying the matches so far.

"Very nice," he said looking at Throk. "You don't precisely have I requested."

"Yes, my Lord," said Throk proudly.

King Macario smiled as he leaned back in his throne. "Such an exquisite pairing Bacchus wild spirit against the graceful power of Astrid Hofferson."

Throk face then darkened.

King Macario's smile also vanished upon seeing him. "Problem?"

"Forgive me your Majesty, but did you say Astrid?" said Throk awkwardly. "I'm sorry, but I arrange for a different fighter."

* * *

"Snotlout Jorgenson!" Agnar announced.

"Me?" Snotlout stared.

"That's not her!" King Macario roared.

"It's Snotlout turn? Is he even ready?" Adelaide stared.

"I don't like the boy's chances," said Gobber.

"Oh, that's my son you're talking about," Spitelout glared.

"You've got this Snotlout," Astrid assured him. "Just stay strong and you can win this."

"Uh, yeah," Snotlout nodded.

* * *

King Macario was completely outraged by the line-up and took it all on Throk.

"You incompetent fool!" he roared. "I wanted to see Bacchus do battle with Astrid!"

"My deepest apologies you're Lord," said Throk humbly.

He decided not to mention that it was the fact that his Majesty could remember the competitor's name he wanted to see fight. Saying that he wanted to see the one that transformed was pretty vague.

"I failed," he said looking quite horrified.

"This will not be a match but a slaughter!" King Macario yelled. "Bacchus will make easy work of this novice!"

"Yes, indeed he will," said Throk quietly.

* * *

Bacchus was lazing around on the arena floor when Snotlout showed up holding a hip flask of wine in his hand. The two competitors merely looked at each other and the crowd were cheering for Snotlout.

"You can do it _Dragon Tail_!"

"Yeah, well I'm not too sure about that," said the woman next to him.

"Yeah," said Bacchus finally speaking. "What you say we make our own bet like those last guys did?"

"What?" said Snotlout.

Bacchus then looked towards the stands. "Your sister is quite the smoking hot number."

Snotlout narrowed his eyes. "So what's your point?"

"Come on, man. I know you can't be that dense," said Bacchus rolling his eyes. "If I win the match, she keeps me company tonight."

Snotlout looked down at him furiously.

The other members of _Dragon Tail_ weren't too pleased with that either.

"Scumbag," Agatha growled.

"He doesn't mince words does he?" said Toothless.

"What nerve," said Rubbella.

Bacchus then placed his hip flask down. "Now it's your turn… if you win?"

"Listen pal," Snotlout growled furiously. "I don't care who you think you are, but no one talks to remember the Jorgenson Clan like that. So you better get ready to be pounded to the ground!"

"So, I reckon that means you accept this was wagered do ya," said Bacchus looking scared in the slightest. "I'm so excited I've got the shakes."

* * *

Meanwhile Hiccup has finally woken up and was now stretching his arms.

"Boy, did I sleep like a log," he said yawning. He then noticed that he was the only person in the infirmary. "Hang on, where's everybody else?"

He then sniffed the air and smelled Gothi, Merrill and Stormfly's scent, but also picked three others. He then immediately strapped on his prosthetic, on his bedside table, and got to his feet.

"Someone else was in here I smell them," he said.

He then immediately left the infirmary and began tracking down the scents.

"This way," he said running down the corridors.

He then turned round the corner and saw four guys carrying Merrill, Gothi and Stormfly. All four of them were wearing metal mask so it was impossible to tell who they were, but their intent was perfectly clear.

"Hey you!" he yelled.

"Ah, crap," said one of them. "It's that guy from _Dragon Tail_!"

"We must have woken him up."

"Stop right there!" he yelled running straight towards them. "You're not taking them anywhere you here!"

Immediately the thugs made a run for it.

"Run!"

"Hurry!"

"I told you to stop!" Hiccup yelled closing the gap considerably.

The thugs began to panic.

"He's crazy fast!"

"Not surprising, he was a leader for the majority of the race before!"

One of them then stopped and pulled out a pair of pistols. "I've got this, let's see if you can run a bullet."

The answer was answered a few moments later. Hiccup appeared riding front of him and slammed his fist against his iron mask.

"Get out of my way!" he yelled as he continued the chase. "Come back here! I won't let you take them!"

The thugs were now even more panic stricken than before.

"He's catching up!"

"This guy is insane! We need to get the lead out!"

"What do we do?"

"We've gotta dump these other two!" said one of them gesturing to Gothi and Stormfly.

"You idiot! We're supposed to grab the girl in the infirmary!"

Hiccup eyes widened upon hearing that.

"But the old lady and cat ain't girls," one of them pointed out.

"Then why did we grab them?"

"Well, they're all technically females."

"There ain't no girls though."

Hiccup then use the same trick as he did in the Chariot game so that he was now in front of them. They quivered upon seeing his furious expression on his face.

"Who hired you to do this!" he demanded.

They then screamed as loud as they could, but sadly no one could hear them due to the fact that the cries from the crowd below ground them out.

* * *

Everyone was more focused on the battle in the arena which was not going well for Snotlout. He had yet to land a single hit on Bacchus had now fallen onto one knee due to his attacks.

"I've seen plenty of one side matches in my day, but this is just embarrassing," said Agnar. "Did Snotlout come to loss?"

Bacchus looked down at Snotlout. "I'm going to have a wild time tonight. Oh, yeah."

"No this is horrible!" Ruby cried.

Ragnar looked at Astrid. "This guy is way more on your level Astrid."

"Yes," she nodded. "And unfortunately he's just getting started."

Adelaide was looking quite concerned, because she knew what would happen if Snotlout lost.

"Get out, Snotlout," she said.

"Don't worry, your brother never fails to come through in a pinch," said Rubbella not looking worried in the slightest.

"Yeah, you're right," she nodded though she wasn't entirely convinced.

"Get him big guy!" Toothless yelled.

Snotlout then came charging straight towards Bacchus. " _Beast Soul: Wereleopard!_ "

He then suddenly transformed into a very massive, anthropomorphous creature, possessing distinctive traits characterizing a great variety of felines. He basically looks like a leopard, complete with tail, but stood out like a muscular man.

He then swung his massive paw at Bacchus, who easily evaded it and then swung some more punches. However, no matter how many times he swung at him, Bacchus kept on avoiding them as if he could see them coming.

"This _Takeover_ showed increases speed," said Valka.

"But he still hasn't landed a single attack," Heather frowned.

No matter how fast Snotlout swung his fist Bacchus was able to dodge them with the greatest of ease. He then slammed the palm of his hand right under Snotlout's chin and dodged his kick. He then dealt a few more punches onto Snotlout and then spun behind him and slamming his elbow right into its back hard causing Snotlout to collapse.

"How do you like that boys?" said Bacchus.

"Take him down!" Thuggory yelled as the other members cheered.

Snotlout me was panting hard completely exhausted.

"Snotlout maybe faster, but that speed doesn't do him any good if he can't hit his target," Ragnar frowned.

"It's all because of the weird way that guy moves," said Ruby.

Astrid nodded. "Surprisingly enough it's part of an extremely rigorous technique. One that focuses magic into his palms. He is very methodical, he uses this power in conjunction with a specific style of martial art he mastered known as _Chop Hanging Palm_. This particular style specialises in devastating palm strikes all delivered from that unique stances taking."

Snotlout then charged at Bacchus again, but he merely sidestepped out of the way and dealt a powerful elbow to Snotlout's face. He then slammed his right palm upwards hitting the bottom of Snotlout's chin.

"I see what you mean," said Ragnar folding his arms.

Bacchus then slammed his right palm again right into Snotlout's face pushing him back even further.

"Bacchus has all taking this a step further, he's modified it with his own method of fighting," said Astrid as Bacchus slammed Snotlout into the wall the arena. "One that he calls _Drunken Chop Hanging Palm_."

"He's drunk?" Ruby stared.

"This guy gets hammered when he fights?" said Ragnar in disbelief.

"That's right," Astrid nodded. "The Drunken Hawk's moves are unpredictable, the alcohol also increases his destructive power and dull his sensitivity to pain. But that's not the issue that Snotlout is facing now."

Ragnar Ruby looked at her confused until she gestured to the hip flask in the middle of the arena. "The problem, is that he hasn't had a drop to drink yet."

The announcers had just explained Bacchus unique fighting style to the crowd.

"It is a unique fighting style, the _Chop Hanging Palm_ is quite obscure," said Johann.

Theron nodded. "Even my days hunting across the land I've only heard of this unique fighting technique, but from what I hear it is quite devastating and from what I'm witnessing those rumours are clearly justified."

"I think I've already seen it," said Toothless looking at the others.

"So that explains the craziness that went down from the bar," said Gobber.

"Show them what you've got boy-o!" Spitelout yelled.

"You've got in you!" Rubbella yelled. She then looked at the others. "He has way more muscle working in his favour."

"Yeah, you're right," Adelaide nodded. "All of us need to keep on believing in him."

However that was easier said than done as Bacchus slammed a powerful palm right into Snotlout's gut. It was so powerful that he was sent flying across the arena.

"This is getting too easy," said Bacchus.

"You've got this one in the bag, Bacchus!" Thuggory yelled.

"Snotlout get up!" Agatha yelled.

"Bacchus allies on his liquor to keep his moves erratic and super powerful," said Valka grimly.

"But he hasn't even touched his hip flask down he's got in the arena," Heather noted.

Ragnar Ruby came to the same conclusion realising what acid had said earlier.

"He's sober?" Ruby stared.

"Which means he's hardly even trying," Ragnar said grimly.

Snotlout was now faced down in the dirt and his _Takeover_ had failed and he soon returned to his normal form.

"Whoa, his _Takeover_ has worn off looks like he's back to be beast of a man," said Agnar.

"That has cost him a tremendous amount of magic power," said Johann. "Not a good combination with all the damage he's taken."

"It's safe to say that the battle is nearly over," said Theron.

Bacchus looked down at Snotlout. "Oh man, I can't wait," he said licking his lips.

Snotlout glared at him, but unable to move.

Mindor then approached him. "Do you wish to forfeit?"

Adelaide just looked down from the stands hoping against hope that Snotlout could overcome Bacchus.

"No!" said Snotlout getting to his feet.

"Very well," said Mindor backing away from the two fighters.

Bacchus smiled at him. "Well, back on your feet. Looks like it wasn't just your ego talking."

Snotlout looked at him. "Listen up, you dog. I never told you what I wanted."

"Huh?" Bacchus blinked.

"Our bet. What I want you to do if I win."

Bacchus laughed. "This is the only time this comes up so go ahead. Tell me what happens if you win."

Snotlout looked at him with a smirk on his face. "I want you and the rest of your team to go by the name _Blazing Puppy_."

Bacchus laughed.

Thuggory and the others just stared. "What?" they said in unison.

"Funny, but do you think you agreed to that?" Heather asked looking at the others.

"It is pretty silly," said Valka honestly.

"It's hilarious and I think it suits them way better," Agatha laughed.

"Okay, okay, you've got yourself a deal," said Bacchus retrieving his hip flask. Everyone watched as he brought the flask to his lips. "Last call."

He then started to drink down the alcohol in his hip flask.

"He's guzzling now," said Ragnar grimly.

"That's right, so he's serious," said Astrid.

"No way!" said Ruby horrified.

"Here we go," said Agnar. "It's happening folks Bacchus is drinking down some fighting fuel."

"Drunken style, huh?" Johann nodded curiously.

"Looks like were coming to the end game," said Theron.

Bacchus stopped drinking and had a funny grin on his face as he started to go all wobbly. He then started to take a fighting form ready to finish Snotlout off.

"Hit me with your best shot," Bacchus laughed. "It should be easy to knock off a wobbly old drunk like me, right?"

" _Takeover! Beast Soul!_ " Snotlout yelled as he began to transform.

"It's pointless!" Bacchus laughed.

He then moved like greased lightning struck Snotlout seven times with the palms of his hands in a single second.

"So many hits?" Rubbella stared.

"And they all happened so fast," Adelaide stared.

"It looked like he turned himself into a gigantic blur," said Toothless.

"Seven strikes in a blink of an eye," said Astrid breathlessly.

"That's unreal," Agatha stared.

"All those hits must have caused quite a bit of damage," said Heather.

"Yes, but look," said Valka.

Bacchus laughed. "Feel that?" He then winced in pain and looked down and saw the chance of his armour were now shredded to pieces and his hands were badly bruised. "What in the hell? He got me?"

"Uh-oh, Bacchus may have had double vision, but he didn't see that coming," said Agnar.

"What are you?" Bacchus stared turning around to face Snotlout.

Snotlout had managed to transform in time you transformed into a large scaly creature that resembles a crocodile. There are several spikes attached to his body and his scales looked as hard as steel. Smoke was pouring out of the areas that Bacchus had struck him, but otherwise he was unharmed.

" _Lizardman!_ " said Snotlout. He then looked at Bacchus. "I can't hit you, but go on and hit me all you want."

Astrid's eyes widened. "It's his own version of armour."

"Hold on, that's crazy," said Ragnar realising what Snotlout had in mind.

The other members of _Dragon Tail_ were slightly concerned as well.

"I'm not sure that strategy is going to work," said Gobber.

"He's like a scaly punching bag," said Toothless.

"He's taken a big gamble and there's nothing we can do about it," said Cloudjumper.

"Not like you much other options, I would have done the same," said Spitelout with a smile.

"Yes the only thing we can do is sit back and watch it happen," Gobber frowned.

"All right, bring it on," said Snotlout taunting Bacchus. "Go nuts and hit me with everything you've got. I'm going to see you tear those puny arms of yours to shreds."

"Man, this guy is crazy," Bacchus smiled.

"I sure hope Snotlout knows what he's doing," said Valka looking deeply concerned.

Heather nodded. "It's so reckless. I know that thick scaly Lizardman skin and all those spikes would Forbear had invited to get through, but still… Bacchus is much stronger than your everyday opponent."

"What are you scared!" Snotlout yelled looking at Bacchus.

Bacchus gave him a crazy smile. "I like your style man! You know how to get my blood pumping!"

He then immediately charged at Snotlout and struck continuously with the palms of his hand with incredible speed. Snotlout stood strong and withstood the attacks as they struck him relentlessly. Bacchus armour and Snotlout's scales and spikes were sent flying in all directions.

"And the blows come raining down!" Agnar yelled. "This is more than just a simple fight, but ultimate showdown of wills! Will Bacchus wear himself out all will be the barraged prove too be much for Snotlout? It's so close I just can't call it! Who be left standing?"

* * *

King Macario immediately set up with this sudden change of events and started to look down at the arena quite intrigued.

"Now this is excitement," he said leaning down. He then turned his eyes to Throk. "Looks like the gods are with you Throk."

"It certainly seems so, your Majesty," said Throk looking quite relieved.

* * *

 _Dragon Tail_ cheered like mad as Snotlout held his ground and the barrage of attacks. Hiccup was also cheering Snotlout on as Gothi and Stormfly tended to Merrill, who was still unconscious. Rubbella was so enthusiastic that she was practically strangling Fenrir in her enthusiasm.

Then the fighting immediately stopped Baachus was completely worn out and fell to his knees his hands bloodied and fingers pointing in awkward directions. Snotlout's _Takeover_ then worn off at the last of his magic depleted and began panting heavily in they noticed that his body was covered in very black bruises. The two of them looked as if they were going to collapse at any moment.

Everyone was at the edge of their seats as they waited to see who would fall first.

"Your name's Snotlout, right?" said Bacchus panting.

Snotlout was too tired to speak.

Bacchus then laughed as he got onto his feet much to the horror of _Dragon Tail_. "That's right! I've won!"

Thuggory and the others were _Blazing Fenrir_ cheered as the crowd while _Dragon Tail_ grown in despair.

"No, he lost," said Toothless.

"He may be shaky, but Bacchus has risen to his feet," said Agnar.

Mindor was about to raise his hand, but then Bacchus spoke. "I've got to tell you pal. You…" Bacchus then collapsed. "Are a real man!"

"And Bacchus is down like a sack of drunken potatoes! The way there is Snotlout!" Agnar cried as the horn to signal the end of the match blew.

Immediately _Dragon Tail_ cheered their heads off.

"With this victory team _Dragon Tail_ scores 10 points which brings the total into the double digits with 12!" Agnar continued.

Immediately Thuggory and _Blazing Fenrir_ groaned in despair.

"Ah, man!" they groaned.

Snotlout then raised his fists into the air and roared as loudly as he could and the entire crowd cheered like crazy upon hearing it.

"Is this roar the sound of Dragon Tails resurrection?" Agnar cried. "What an upset, Snotlout beat the odds and snatches victory from the jaws of defeat!"

* * *

Hiccup and Merrill had watched the entire thing and were now cheering themselves for Snotlout.

"Finally a win," said Hiccup.

"It's amazing. Hey, Snotlout!" Merrill cried.

Stormfly looked at her. "Now child, shouldn't you get back in bed?"

"I'm fine," Merrill assured. She then turned to Gothi. "And it's all thanks to Grandeeney."

"Did I tell you not to call me by that name," Gothi grumbled. She then looked at Hiccup. "So Hiccup about these thugs."

They nodded.

* * *

A few moments ago they handed the kidnappers to the guards, but not before interrogating them.

"We we're just doing a job that's all."

"Where somebody in _Raven Tail_ , we were supposed to bring them the girl that was in the infirmary."

"Sure you were," said the guard before turning to them. "They can tell us all about it at headquarters."

* * *

Hiccup clenched his fists. " _Raven Tail_ is going to pay," he snarled.

"Who _was_ there? Past tense, that seems weird," Merrill frowned.

"There was one before you, Hiccup brought her in," Gothi reminded.

All their eyes then widened in horror.

"They're going after her?" Merrill stared open-mouthed.

"Ruby?" Stormfly gasped.

* * *

Meanwhile deep underneath the Palace, Throk was talking to the guard apprehended the kidnappers and he wasn't best pleased.

"I'm afraid the operation was a failure," said the guard.

"You idiot!" Throk roared. "Did you not tell them what their target looks like? How else could they have taken the wrong girl?"

"My apologies, sir."

"No matter," Throk said calmly. "We do have a Plan B to fall back on. What has become of the kidnappers?"

"We have taken them all into custody, sir."

"Ignorant to the truth I hope."

The guard nodded and saluted. "Yes, sir. They still believe they were hired by the _Raven Tail_ Guild."

Throk nodded. "Luckily we can use the rivalry between _Raven Tail_ and _Dragon Tail_ to our advantage. And when the opportunity arrives we will have a _Celestial Viking_ in our possession." A small smile appeared around his mouth. "To use an Eclipse Project."


	38. Valka vs Ase

Later Hiccup's team, the _Thunder Legion_ and Adelaide were in the infirmary looking over Snotlout, who had been badly bruised after his fight with Bacchus. So badly that he was covered from head to toe in bandages.

"You did good out there Snotlout," said Astrid proudly. "You've managed to hold your own against a superior opponent and now you've given us the momentum we need to keep winning."

"I don't know you ever received such high praises from Astrid," said Ruby in disbelief.

"Well he certainly it out there," said Ragnar.

Hiccup nodded. "You were certainly on fire."

"Thanks guys," said Snotlout.

"I don't know why anyone is surprised," said Adelaide placed a damp cloth over his head. "You're just too hard-headed to giving to anyone."

"Well he certainly had plenty of practice on Astrid," said Hiccup.

"Shame most of those practices ended up with him face first on the floor," Ragnar joked.

"Hey! At least I actually won something like you two!" Snotlout snapped.

"I think what you did out there today was super impressive, Snotlout," said Merrill cheerfully.

"I really appreciate the kind words guys, but Merrill is going to have to tag back in," said Snotlout regretfully.

"Right!" Merrill nodded.

"Now this is all very nice but you mustn't lose focus," said Gothi getting to her feet. "Get back to the Games, you have to study your opponents if you want to beat them."

"We definitely want to be," Hiccup nodded. "Besides Mum's up next and I don't want to miss this."

With that he and the others started to leave.

Adelaide looked at Snotlout. "Hey, Snotlout, and sorry but I kind of want watch along with them."

Snotlout nodded. "I would if I were you. Aunt Valka is going to be up next, go out there and cheer extra allow for me."

"You need to get some rest," said Dogsbreath. "We'll hang out here for a while and make sure everything is cool."

Fenris nodded. "I set up an _Enchantment_ to keep out any intruders."

"The _Thunder Legion_ will be looking out for you," Rubbella assured.

"Thanks, I'm sorry," said Snotlout.

Rubbella smiled. "It's fine! But you might want to rethink your strategy next time."

Snotlout just looked at her in silence.

"You should try and get some sleep for now," Fenris suggested.

"I'm sure Rubbella will cuddle with you if you want," Dogsbreath smirked pushing her towards Snotlout. "Go on!"

"Cut it out!" the two of them yelled.

* * *

Hiccup and the others started to make their way down the corridor discussing the kidnapping orchestrated by _Raven Tail_.

"They can't get away with this," said Hiccup.

Astrid nodded. "It's as if they're trying to take us out one by one."

"Actually, I'm not entirely convinced that's true," said Stormfly.

Merrill frowned. "Wait, what are you talking about?"

"How can you say that after everything that happened?" Astrid asked.

"The bandits from earlier told Hiccup they were hired by _Raven Tail_ to kidnap Ruby for some reason, but their plan ultimately ended up in failure. Not only did they choose the wrong target, but Hiccup easily stopped them."

"What's so strange about that?" Adelaide frowned.

"We don't know what they were going to do with Ruby if they caught her either," Astrid pointed out.

"I don't want to know," said Ruby shaking slightly.

"The method they used raised a red flag. They have Viking that can instantly drain magic power, that's the one that attacked Merrill and I before the games even began," Stormfly reminded.

"Yes, you're right," Astrid nodded. "And Stoick believes that it was the same Viking that nullified Ruby's magic power from the side-lines during the battle with Flare."

"If _Raven Tail_ has a Viking that possesses that kind of skill one would think that they would choose to involve him in the abduction."

"Maybe they thought that it would be too suspicious," said Ragnar. "If they sent one of their guys out right before the battle people might notice it."

"The organisers want everyone close by because they don't know who's fighting until right before the match," Adelaide nodded.

"I think you're giving them too much credit," said Merrill.

Ruby frowned. "I don't know if they're that concerned with how they do things so long someone gets hurt in the end."

"Well, no matter what if their targeting us in and outside the arena we must remain on guard at all times," said Astrid.

Hiccup nodded. "To that end no one should wander off by themselves."

Stormfly remain quiet as she remembered the vision she had last night. It's still troubled her greatly plus there was the fact that the kidnappers went after Ruby of all people, it couldn't have been a coincidence.

* * *

Meanwhile in the arena the third battle was about to begin and the crowd were growing even more excited.

"It's a lovely day in the games and it's about to get even lovelier," said Agnar. "These two girls are hard as nails and beautiful in their own way. With _Dragon Tail Team B_ it's Valka Haddock against _Blue Pegasus'_ blond bombshell Ase Rosedotter."

"Hey, we're back," said Adelaide making her way into the stands.

"You're just in time," said Agatha, who left her team to stay in the stands with the others. "So how's your brother holding up?"

"He's been better, but he will pull through," Agatha assure.

"Let's hope your aunt matches a little bit easier," said Fishlegs.

"Ase has a lot crowd support, I hear she used to be number one on _Sorcerer Weekly Hottest Girls In Magic List_ ," Agatha explained. "Guys go a little nuts over her."

"Rumour has it that she idolised you, so much so that she modelled her career after her," said Fishlegs.

"Valka was quite a hard disk back in the day," said Gobber folding his arms.

"Hey, that's my wife you're talking about!" Stoick glared.

"Hey, you can't deny that she was pretty attractive. There again she is still pretty attractive," said Gobber.

"Oh, it seems like someone is feeling better," Skullcrusher noted as Stormfly approached them.

"Merrill is fully recovered as well," Stormfly added.

"That's good to hear," said Toothless.

"So apparently those of us who are not competing have to stay over here during the match?" Stormfly asked.

"At least it gives us a front row seat," said Cloudjumper.

Stormfly folding her paws, she knew she could keep worrying about what she saw in her dreams. By now the most important thing was to cheer for her Guild.

"You can do it Valka!" Stormfly cheered looking down at the arena.

"So who do you say the favourite is Johann?" Agnar asked looking at Johann.

"That depends what you mean by favourite," said Johann. "Ase is obviously the one that and will be rooting for, but in terms of battle she has very little experience. Valka on the other hand is an S-Class Viking, who is the wife of _Dragon Tail's_ Guild Master and the mother of Hiccup Haddock, who is one of their most powerful male Vikings."

"I have never met Valka myself, but I understand she disappeared for 20 years did she not?" said Theron.

Johann nodded. "She was investigating destroyed villages where children have been kidnapped and the adults been slaughtered. She herself had been captured and was put into a slave, it was there that she met young Astrid and thought of the fundamentals of magic."

"So not only is she the mother of one of _Dragon Tail's_ most powerful members, but she is also the mentor of their most powerful female member," said Agnar.

"Then things don't look good for Ase," said Theron.

* * *

The _Pegasus Guild_ looking down from the stand also concerned by the match up.

"It's only the second day were dipping into reserve members," said Arvin.

"Yeah, kidda suck, but Olatrand is in bad shape," said Feralan.

"Competing in that Chariot raised earlier really took it out of the old guy," said Cavin.

* * *

Valka and Ase were sizing each other up and waiting for the signal to start.

"I was really hoping to face against your niece, Adelaide in the games," said Ase looking at Valka. "No offence."

"None taken, I understand that she used to be your role model," said Valka with a firm grip on her staff.

"She still kind of its," Ase smiled. "Though this does give me the chance of a wager with you."

"You wished a bet," said Valka looking intrigued.

"Well, the other matches had bet so why not us?"

"And what exactly do you want with me?" Valka asked raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, it's not you I want to your son," said Ase with a smile.

"And what do you want with him?"

"Oh, I just want to spend the night with him?"

"What?" everyone in _Dragon Tail_ stared.

"What did she say?" Astrid growled clenching her fists.

"Is anyone witnessing déjà vu?" Ruby asked.

"Yeah, it's just like with Snotlout's match," Ragnar nodded.

"I hope the other matches are going to be like this," said Merrill.

"I have a feeling that we won't have to worry about," Ruby sighed. "At least I hope not."

"So do I," Hiccup groaned wishing that he was still in the infirmary."

* * *

In the _Dragon Tail_ stands there was a bit of commotion between the male members of the Guild.

"Why does she want to spend the night with Hiccup?" Wartihog grumbled.

"Hey, what's the matter with us?" Speedfist asked.

"What do we look chop liver?" said Tuffnut.

"I think you guys are missing the point where he's already in a relationship with Astrid?" said Fishlegs.

"Does he have any idea who she's messing with?" said Helga.

"Clearly not," said Ingrid.

"She's got a lot of nerve," Stoick growled.

"Not to mention guts," Gobber added.

Alvin whistled. "Hiccup is going to make a lot of guys jealous."

"You do realise was supposed to be rooting for Valka," Heather reminded.

"Not to mention if he does win she'll end up in the hospital if she faces against Astrid later on in the Games," Eret added.

* * *

Valka looked at Ase giving her a concerned expression.

"You know you're asking a death wish, my son is dating Astrid remember," Valka reminded.

"It'll be worth it," Ase smiled. "Your son is actually is one of the top 10 in _Hottest Vikings Boys_ in _Sorcerer's Weekly_."

Hiccup blinked and looked at Ruby. "Is that true?"

Ruby looked at him nervously. "I'm afraid so."

"What rank?" Ragnar asked curiously.

"Maybe you should catch up on _Sorcerer's Weekly_ to find out for yourself and see where you stack up," Ruby suggested.

Astrid slammed her fist against the stone railings. "Valka take her down!" she roared.

"So is that a yes?" Ase asked.

"Only if you agree to my terms," said Valka and then a devious smile appeared on her face. "If I win you will pose for _Sorcerer's Weekly_ wearing absolutely nothing but your birthday suit."

Ase stared at her. "What?"

Every man in the stands stared went all googly eyed and some actually had nosebleeds.

"Boy, I never knew that Valka was so devious," said Adelaide.

"But I like her style," said Spitelout with a smile.

Adelaide looked at her father. "You know that sounds absolutely creepy."

"Try not to say things like that out loud in front of you kids," Gobber advised rolling his eyes.

Ragnar looked at Hiccup. "Remind me never to get on your Mum's bad side."

"Yeah, same here," said Ruby shaking slightly.

Ase looks slightly uncomfortable with this proposal. "Can't I do something else?"

"No," said Valka flatly. "The question is how desperate you are for my son and how far you will go. After all you must go pretty far if you wish to tangle with Astrid."

Ase bit her lip, it was true that she did fancy Hiccup and she was inciting Astrid wrath with this proposal. This was her only chance to actually get anywhere close to Hiccup, but there was still the obstacle of Astrid.

"Only if he was sure that it won't put me in the hospital if I win," said Ase.

"Done," said Valka.

"I hope your Mum knows what she's doing," said Ruby looking at Hiccup.

"She will agree with these terms if she wasn't confident of her abilities," said Hiccup.

"Besides, Ase doesn't have that much combat experience so she's little outmatched against Valka," Ragnar added.

"And the die has been cast," said Agnar. "So without any further ado let's begin the battle!"

The horn blew and immediately Ase began to glow and instantly everyone recognised the spell.

"She is able to use _Takeover Magic_ as well," Adelaide stared.

Ase then appeared in a ruffled dark headband which is attached to conical ear protectors which jut out and backwards. Her torso was covered by a dark battle suit with light edges, split in two main parts: a revealing shirt exposes a fair amount of her cleavage and her belly, while her legs were covered in similar, tight-fitting pants leaving the inner parts of her thighs exposed. The two pieces were joined together on the front by two thin, dark straps, creating an "X" in correspondence to Ase's abdomen, each of their edges secured by thin, light bolts, while on the back both the shirt and pants become one, with a thong-like garment covering her bottom leaving the upper central part of it exposed. She sported light gloves extending up to her shoulders, each secured by a series of buttons on the inner part of her arms, which possess metal plating in correspondence to her hands and metal bands on their upper edges; every arm was linked together by a thick, dark cord, solidly remained arched and not hanging down, similar to a hosepipe. Her legs were covered by armoured thigh-high boots, sporting distinctively large upper edges protruding upwards, as well as metal high heels. Ase's neck was hidden by plate armour that extended on her shoulders in the form of rounded pauldrons and up to her chin, with two peculiar protrusions hiding her ears away jutting outwards, getting smaller as they got farther from her face.

"Sorry for being naughty, but there's no way I'm going to lose this one it's just too perfect," she said in a cocky voice. "If you think you can handle my _Combat Form_?"

"Oh, I know I can," said Valka.

She then gripped her staff tightly and in as quick as a flash she unleashed a powerful gust of wind from the tip of it. The wind struck Ase with so much force that he was sent flying much to everyone's bewilderment, especially _Blue Pegasus_.

"Whoa, with one hit Valka annihilated Ase," Agnar stared.

"Not surprising truth be told," said Johann.

"That was a total KO," said Theron.

The crowd cheered loudly as Valka resurfaced her fist into the air.

"And Agnar takes the big W!" Agnar yelled.

"Nice," Cloudjumper smiled.

"Way to go Auntie Valka!" Adelaide cheered.

"I'm definitely going to get next week's issue," Spitelout smiled.

"How would you focus on the games," said Gobber rolling his eyes.

"What a relief?" said Hiccup placing a hand over his heart with immense relief.

"Boy more Mum's a badass," said Ruby shaking slightly.

"She had to be tough she married Stoick," Ragnar pointed out.

"That was amazing," said Merrill.

"It's nice to see that she hasn't changed," Astrid smiled.

* * *

In the arena Valka looked at Ase and slammed her staff into the ground and gave her a forceful look.

"Next time don't mess with my son," she advised her.

Ase was too busy crying and hugging herself to say anything else.

"That when at another 10 points to _Dragon Tail B_ ," said Agnar.

Eret whistled. "She doesn't mess around does she?"

"Yeah, despite her kind-hearted can be brutal," said Alvin and turned to Jellal. "That's why you always want to stay on her good side."

"Understood," Jellal nodded.

"Whoa, that was amazing," Heather stared as Valka approached them. "Nicely done."

"Thank you and I hope I sent a message loud and clear to anyone who wishes to mess with my son," said Valka smiling at them.

"Oh, I say the message was very loud and clear," said Eret.

"And now was sitting at 12 points which tries to serve with Hiccup's team," said Alvin.

Valka then looked at Jellal. "Is there something wrong Mystogan?" she asked.

"No," said Jellal shaking his head.

"Give him a break, isn't he supposed to be the strong silent type?" Eret asked.

"I know, but I've known him since he was a child and I knew his counterpart I can't help but feel concerned," said Valka.

Jellal just remain completely quiet as the second day was nearly coming to an end and it was still no trace of Drago. He was starting to wonder if there was something else a foot, something that he couldn't see.

* * *

Meanwhile deep below the palace, Throk was making his way through a deep dark corridor. Then a short squat, elderly man made his way towards him with a serious look on his face.

"Captain Throk!" he yelled.

"Defence Minister Darton, can I be of service?" Throk asked looking at the man.

"You've got some explaining to do," Darton glared.

"Whatever do you mean?" Throk asked innocently.

"Don't play dumb! I want you to tell me why the hell you're trying to get your hands on a Celestial Viking right now? Don't you think your jumping the gun?"

"We need to have a trial run to ensure that everything is in order," said Throk simply.

"But now is not the time! We are not ready for that!"

"With all due respect, sir, I think you should keep your voice down," Throk advised. "And truth be told it has been ready for some time."

Darton was taken aback. "You kept this from me?"

"Don't be offended I kept this from everyone in order to show up funding, but ones were able to secure a Celestial Viking the Eclipse Project will in fact be operational."

"That's ridiculous!" Darton barked. "Do you expect me to believe you have completed a project of this magnitude in seven years?"

"Whether you believe me or not the project is moving on to Phase 4 Plan B," said Throk confidently. "Which means I will be obtaining a Celestial Viking if I have to do it myself."

Darton just glared at him in silence.

"I'm aware of your position on the matter, your opposition to Eclipse has been well documented," said Throk. He then turned around and walked away without even looking at him. "But at this point in time there is no turning back."

"You fool, you have no idea what you're meddling in!" Datron roared.

"On the contrary, I do know what I'm doing," said Throk. "I will do whatever it is required to serve my king and country."

He then soon approached a large gate with an elaborate design. At the centre of the door was a sun with a darkened moon below it. The lower section of the door from the sun past the moon was dark blue with golden lines, the upper section was green and split into twelve segments. Around the sun are several circles, the innermost one connecting the moon and twelve holes, one in each segment. A set of steps leads up to the door and two pillars stand on either side of the door with an arch connecting them. Atop the arch is an emblem consisting of an eclipsed sun.

"What lies behind this door will change the world forever, if the key to opening it is a life of a young girl then so be it," said Throk.

* * *

Meanwhile at the Coliseum the crowd were getting antsy as the last battle the day was about to start.

"After an exciting day the final match of day two of the Grand Magic Games is about to take place," said Agnar. "This one will test the skills of _Valkyrie Sword's_ Camicazi Berthadotter against Sabretooth's Vala Starlight."

Vala was the silver haired elf among the Sabretooth Guild and she looked very calm and relaxed.

Skull looked Hookfang. "So who do you think is gonna win this one?" he asked.

"Are you kidding me?" Hookfang roared. "Obviously Vala's is going to wipe the floor with this chick."

"I would be so certain," said Skull folding his paws.

"We really need to score some points on this one since somebody screwed the pooch on the Chariot race," said Orga glaring at Sting.

Ilos merely chuckled as Sting glared at him.

"I know, but Sting is not to blame for that," said Vala. "We clearly underestimated _Blazing Fenris_."

"We can't change that right now," said Sting. "I just hope that you know what you've got to do. We're counting on you."

"Yes," said Vala as he made her way into the arena. "I will not tarnish the name _Sabretooth_ and I will achieve victory without fail."

"Do your best out there Camicazi," said the hooded girl.

"Go and fetch us a win," said Babs.

" _Sabretooth_ isn't the top-ranked Guild for nothing so it's going to be tough," said Kelail.

"She would never let us down," said Athessa.

"Don't worry, I know what I must do," said Camicazi as she walked onto the battlefield.

"Something tells me that we won't be seeing another KO," said Johann.

"I am certainly getting that feel," Agnar nodded.

"This battle is going to be exciting that is to assure," said Theron.

Everyone was watching as the two girls made their way towards the centre.

"What's going to happen?" Ragnar wondered.

"Pay close attention _Sabretooth_ is the Guild to beat this year," said Astrid.

"You're right," Merrill nodded.

"Camicazi has made quite a name for herself, not only she considered the strongest member of Team _Valkyrie's Sword_ , she also made the top female Viking by _Sorcerer Weekly_ , not to mention she's the Guild Master's daughter," said Agnar. "On the other hand not much is known about her opponent Vala. However, the simple fact that she has been chosen to represent the fight for Sabretooth in the games would lead us to believe that she will be a force to be reckoned with."

Then horn then blew signalling the start of the match.

"The horn has been blown let the battle begin," said Agnar.

"It is an honour to cross swords with you," said Vala humbly.

Camicazi was slightly taken aback. "For me as well," she said.

"So shall we do as the others before and made a wager?" Vala asked.

"Silly bets do not interest me," said Camicazi.

"Is it because you are afraid of losing?"

"Hardly, it's just that when I enter into a bet that I take it very seriously. Which is why I never take gambling for entertainment."

"Nor do I so let's raise the stakes," said Vala. "Let wager our lives."

Camicazi looked at her and everyone just stared openmouthed at them as tensions began to grow.


	39. Camicazi vs Vala

In the arena was completely bewildered by the wager that Vala offered.

"Betting their lives? Seriously?" Hiccup stared.

"That's crazy," said Ragnar bewildered. "Talk about raising the stakes."

"Why would they do something so extreme?" Ruby frowned.

* * *

Hookfang and Skull were with Sting and Rogue in the stands.

"Way to go, Vala! That's the way for a member of the _Sabretooth_ Guild makes a bet!" Hookfang cheered.

Skull nearly frowned. "I don't think was entirely wise."

"Don't worry about the little guy, it just makes things more interesting," said Sting.

* * *

In the _Valkyrie's Sword_ stands the members there were quite concerned for Vala.

"I don't think that girl knows what she's getting herself into," said the girl in a cloak.

"I'm almost scared to watch," said Babs.

"She must be awfully confident in our skills to make a wager like that, but she doesn't stand a chance against our Camicazi," said Kelail folding her arms.

Bertha was with them and nodded. " _Sabretooth's_ cockiness will be their undoing," she agreed. "They have absolutely no idea what my little girl is capable of."

* * *

The crowd to we're slightly perplexed with the wager.

"They're really going to do it?"

"Oh man, so the winner gets to kill the loser? That's brutal."

"They sure about this?"

"While this is certainly an unexpected turn of events," said Agnar as he the other announcers were slightly concerned as well. "Today's match is for surprises."

"I'm not saying entirely comfortable with this wager unlike the previous ones," said Agnar.

"It is unorthodox," Theron agreed.

* * *

King Macario was looking down from his box from his throne.

"An exceptional matchup if I do say so myself," he said looking down with intrigue. "This is certainly going to be an exciting fight."

* * *

Vala, to everyone's amazement, then throughout a Celestial Key and not any other kind of key, but a zodiac one. The teeth was shaped like an anchor and the base resemble to fish intertwined and in its centre was the mark of Pisces.

"Creating a member of _Sabretooth_ in battle is quite an unfortunate fate," she said.

"Is that what I think it is Ruby?" Merrill gaped.

Ruby's eyes widened. "Oh wow, she's a Celestial Viking?" she said as the key began to glow.

Darton frowned upon seeing Vala.

Throk on the other hand was quite intrigued as he had no idea there was a second Celestial Viking competing.

"What's that?" Camicazi asked looking at the key. "A gold key? I presume that it's one of the Zodiac keys."

" _Open! Gate of the Two Fish!_ " Vala called.

"So, she's got a zodiac key?" Toothless stared.

"I wonder what this one's going to look like?" Merrill wondered.

"Me too," Ruby nodded. "The only spirit in the Celestial World that even looked remotely fishlike was Aquarius."

"Don't forget looks can be deceiving," said Hiccup folding his arms. "After all Aries may not look tough, but she is quite powerful if used correctly."

Ruby nodded. "Good point, it all depends on how this girl is going to use them."

" _Come Pisces!_ " Vala pointing her key upwards.

Then suddenly launching out of the Magic Circle above her were two large eel like creatures one black with a white belly and the other white with a black belly and each one for the Pisces symbol on their foreheads. Everyone stared at the two eels floated into the air as if they were flowing through water.

They then made their way down towards Camicazi and slammed into the ground causing dust to be lifted into the air hiding them from view.

Babs immediately shielded her eyes.

"Ah, there's no need to worry," said the girl in the hood.

Kelail nodded. "Our girl is going to be just fine."

"Indeed, it will take more than that to take my girl down," Bertha smiled.

Then suddenly launching the dust was Camicazi. Pisces then attempted to strike but, she jumped from eel to eel to dodge their mouths.

"Check it out, she's as nimble as me," Hiccup stared.

Ragnar nodded. "No kidding she's easily dodging their attacks even though she's merely moving."

Astrid frowned slightly.

"If I were her I'd be scared I was going to get eaten," said Merrill.

"So that's Pisces," said Ruby curiously.

Camicazi then landed back on the ground, but a slight second late she jumped to dodge the black eel from attacking her. She jumped so high that she landed on the back of the white eel and stared to run across it's back.

"Huh, not too bad," said Sting looking merely impressed.

"Hey, but it's not like she's that special either all she's doing is running from them and dodgeing them," said Hookfang.

"That's because she's analysing Vala's attack patterns," said Skull.

Kelail just smiled. "Look at her keeping her cool out there. Just waiting for a chance to an end to this thing.

King Macario smiled. "This Magic Battle has turned out to be more exciting then I expected."

"Look at that," said Agnar. "Camicazi is able to dodge the spirit Pisces with the greatest of ease."

"Impressive," said Johann.

"She's like a hunter tracking her prey," said Theron.

"Hmm, you think she's waiting for an opening so that she can attack?" Toothless asked.

"Yes, I think that is exactly what she's doing," Skullcrusher nodded.

"If or you're going to do is run away then I suppose I'll have to stop you in your tracks," said Vala as she pulled out a second golden key.

This key have the mark of legal on it and its teeth was shaped like a horseshoe wow its face resembled that of a scales.

"Look," Astrid stared.

"She's opening another gate," Ruby stared.

"Another zodiac," said Skull.

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Hookfang cheered.

" _Now Open! The Gate of the Balance!_ " said Vala.

Suddenly a Magic Circle appeared in appearing out of it was a curvaceous woman with dark hair tied in an ox horn style. Her attire resembled that of a belly dancer, consisting of a frilled and striped bikini top along with a patterned loincloth. She wore a numerated of bangles on her arms and legs, and her neck was also concealed by a thick necklace. On her feet she wore a simple pair of sandals, and her head was dressed with a zigzagged headband. Concealing the lower part of her face was another cloth that had her zodiac symbol, tied around her head.

Dangling from her hands, she carried a pair of scales, with thin cords running from her fingertips to the sides of the scales, so that she could hold them in an almost puppeteer-like fashion.

" _Libra!_ " Vala yelled.

Immediately most of the men in the audience when love crazed upon seeing Libra.

"That is one hot spirit almost makes me want to become a Celestial Viking the self," said Agnar.

"I think the crowd would agree you," said Johann with a small chuckle.

"She's definitely a feast for the eyes," Theron nodded.

"Now Libra altered the target field of gravity," Vala commanded.

"As you wish," said Libra she began to move her hands around.

Immediately a powerful force of gravity slammed right on top of Camicazi trapping him in place where Pisces were swimming around her.

"Dang it, Camicazi's got trapped," said Babs.

"That Celestial Spirit uses the same magic as I do without a magic item," Kelail stared.

"Yes, she is using gravity to way down Camicazi's body," Athessa nodded.

"Go, Pisces!" Vala commanded.

Pisces then took to the air and began swimming back down towards Camicazi, who was now firmly in place on the ground. However, just as they struck the ground Camicazi somehow managed to jump a hundred feet into the air.

"Impossible," Libra stared.

"She escaped Libra's gravity attack," Hookfang stared.

"But how?" Skull frowned.

"How did she do that?" Hiccup stared.

"Yeah, there was one hell of a jump," Ragnar nodded.

"Calm down, keep watching," said Astrid who had a pretty good idea on what happened.

"Libra, rotate the target's centre of gravity sideways," Vala commanded.

"As you wish," said Libra raising her hands.

Then suddenly Camicazi found herself lying sideways and slammed right into one of four statues surrounding the Coliseum. She struck in with such force that it actually cracked and now she was completely defenceless.

"That gotta hurt," said Agnar. "After an impressive escape from Libra's _Gravity Change Magic_ Camicazi's found herself helplessly pinned down! It looks like she's in real trouble now!"

"Hard to move at your back is against the wall or in this case the statue," said Theron.

"Attack her!" Vala ordered.

Immediately Pisces launch into the air and headed straight towards Camicazi.

"Boom! Now we're talking, that's the power of opening two Spirit Gates at once!" Hookfang cheered.

"We can go ahead and call it a win for our team, because here comes the deathblow," Sting smiled.

"I wouldn't be so sure," said Skull frowning.

Pisces was almost upon Camicazi, but then she opened her eyes and then something very strange happened. Pisces stopped right in their tracks and now their moves were completely sluggish.

"Why did this stop attacking?" Hiccup frowned.

"Don't know, did she run out of magic power?" Ragnar asked looking as confused as the others.

Astrid, however, knew exactly what was going on. "No, not at all. Look down there," she said looking down at the arena floor.

They looked down at the arena floor and then suddenly a massive amount of force pushed Libra down towards the ground.

"I can't know," she said.

Vala looked completely unfazed. "Interesting."

"No fair, she can use _Gravity Magic_ too?" Hookfang stared.

"That explains how she managed to escape Pisces," said Skull.

"Ha, Camicazi is the one that they gave me my Gravity Necklace and taught me how to use it," Kelail smirked. "There's a reason she's our number one girl!"

"You said it," said the girl in the hood.

"She's got this," Athessa agreed.

"Woo-Wee, show them whose boss!" Babs cheered.

Bertha smiled. "You really should underestimate your opponents _Sabretooth_ or else they might surprise you." She then looked at her daughter. "Camicazi, finish her off!"

Camicazi stood up straight now free from the _Gravity Magic_.

King Macario just stared in amazement. "What a great match, this is the real thrill of the Grand Magic Games!"

Now both Pisces and Libra were now suffering from the effects of Camicazi's _Gravity Magic_. Eventually became so strong that Pisces was no longer able to stay upright and slammed on top of Libra. Knowing that the threats were now gone Camicazi then jumped down towards the arena floor.

"Look at her go," said Agnar. "It's going to take more than two _Celestial Spirits_ to phase Camicazi. She's incredible don't you think Johann?"

Johann nodded. "She's showing us a lot of heart. It's obvious that she has a strong inner fortitude."

"I have to say that I am quite impressed with her skills and her strategy," said Theron. "She kept her magic in right up till she could find the perfect opportunity to use it to catch up completely off-guard."

Libra was now completely crushed by the weight of Pisces and the two fish were unconscious during then slamming hard onto the arena floor.

"So heavy," Libra groaned.

"Pisces and Libra you may both return now," said Vala.

Then both Pisces and Libra then vanished from the field and two female warriors then looked at one another in a stand-off.

"Geez, call it a draw, because this match is keep on dragging on forever," said Orga.

"I don't think that Vala is ready for this kind of battle," said Skull.

"Don't worry you guys I just know that our girl is going to pull through!" said Hookfang confidently. He then looked up at Sting. "She's going to win ain't she Sting?"

"Yeah, no doubt. I'm sure that Vala has a lot more than that in her bag of tricks," Sting nodded.

"I'm afraid you leave me with no choice, I will have to open the 13th Gate," said Vala.

That drew Camicazi's attention.

"Hold on, did I hear that right?" Ruby asked leaning over the stands. "Did she just say the _13th Gate_?"

"Yeah, that's what she said isn't it? Is there something wrong?" Merrill frowned.

"I was always told that there were 12 Zodiac Keys in existence, I've heard about a 13th Gate Key but I thought it was just a rumour," said Ruby looking at the others. "Apparently that Key belongs to a _Celestial Spirit_ who is stronger than all of the Zodiac's."

Vala then brought out a zodiac key. This one was quite different from the others while it was golden with a black serpent-like coil wrapping around.

"This gate is one that is rarely opened," said Vala as the key glowed a fiendish purple light. "It is an omen a very bad luck for you."

"I don't believe in luck," said Camicazi dismissively as a purple mist covered the arena. "I never in my life trusted in such a thing."

She then reached for the sword which was strapped to her back, the strangest thing about it was that it was in a scabbard and it was chained with a magic seal on top of it. She then ran straight towards Vala firm grasp on her sword.

"Whatever happens is a result of my choices," she said with a boundless confidence.

" _Open! Gate of the Snake Charmer!_ " said Vala.

"My future is shaped by right decisions alone not by fate," said Camicazi still running towards Vala and showing no sign of stopping.

" _Ophiuchus!_ " Vala yelled.

Suddenly a large _Dark Magic Circle_ appeared above unleashing more darkness upon the battlefield. Then shining through the darkness was a pair of gleaming eyes and then emerging from the darkness was the largest serpent that anyone had ever seen it was so big that no one can say with him finished and its tail started.

Everyone in the crowd began to panic as the serpent began to slip around the Coliseum and the entire sky went dark.

"What kind of spirit is that?" Toothless stared.

"Bring in huge!" Hiccup stared.

"I thought she said snake charmer, but that thing looks like an actual snake" Ragnar gaped.

"Whatever it is it's scary," said Merrill fearfully.

"Does exist, Ophiuchus," Ruby gasped.

Throk was quite intrigued with this development knowing how rare the 13th Gate was and how powerful the girl must be in order to summon it.

Darton on the other hand was gravely concerned as he knew the dangers of having to _Celestial Vikings_ in the Games. Not to mention the fact that both _Celestial Vikings_ had extremely powerful Zodiac keys.

Despite the huge serpent bearing down on her, Camicazi didn't looked the bit worried. Ophiuchus then made its move and started to slither towards her with its mouth wide open.

" _Grudge Sword! Archenemy!_ " said Camicazi closing her eyes and holding a firm grip onto her sword and Astrid stared at her with open eyes. " _Sheathed Longsword Technique!_ "

She then dashed towards Ophiuchus and the moment she did it was sliced into pieces much to the bewilderment of everyone.

"How did she do that?" Sting stared.

"But she didn't even draw her sword," Astrid stared.

The hooded girl merely chuckled. "Camicazi, wouldn't unsheathed her sword just to win a silly game like this."

Camicazi now stood directly in front of Vala, who was completely speechless and frozen in place.

"Is this the end?" she stared.

"Your bet was ill considered," said Camicazi. Everyone watched as she struck her with a sheathed sword knocking her to the ground. "Next time, do not underestimate your opponent."

Everyone just stared down into the arena openmouthed.

"It looks like that's the match folks," said Agnar stunned as the horn blew signalling the end of the match. "And the winner is _Valkyrie's Sword_ Camicazi Berthadotter!"

The entire crowd cheered.

"I wasn't worried for a second," said the hooded girl.

"Way to go!" Babs cheered.

"Bet that they'll never underestimate her again," said Kelail.

"Perhaps it'll teach them some humility," said Bertha folding her arms proudly.

"I must admit that girl was quite impressive," said Athessa. "She would have done well against someone else."

"This is crazy, _Team Sabretooth_ wasn't able to score a single point on day two," said Agnar in bewilderment.

"I bet their Master is not pleased about that," said Johann folding his arms.

"It's only gonna give them problems in the long run," Theron agreed.

"I'm having a hard time figuring out what just happened down there," Ragnar frowned. "Was the Sabretooth Guild girl too weak or the other two strong?"

"The latter I think," said Astrid looking down at Camicazi. She had no idea that there was someone like her.

Camicazi was starting to make a way out of the entrance, she hadn't killed Vala, but the poor girl was still stunned.

"I've been defeated," she said as if she couldn't comprehend of such a thing. "I've left _Sabretooth_ down."

"Guess we really underestimated," said Skull.

Sting was so angry that he slammed his fist against the stands creating a small crater.

"Calm down, buddy," said Hookfang.

Camicazi was nearly at the entrance and then came to a stop. "One last thing," she said without turning her head. "As per our bet your life is now in my hands, understood?"

"Yes, ma'am," said Vala with tears in her eyes. "I understand completely."

* * *

The scoreboard then appeared in front of anyone and there were some changes.

"Ladies and gentlemen that wraps up day two of the Grand Magic Games," said Agnar.

1st Raven Tail: 36p

2nd Sabretooth: 20P

2nd Thor's Hammer: 20P

4th Valkyrie's Sword: 19p

5th Blue Pegasus: 17P

6th Blazing Puppy: 12p

6th Dragon Tail B: 12P

6th Dragon Tail A: 12P

"With 36 points the Guild currently in first place in _Raven Tail_ ," said Agnar. "Despite a total setback on Day Two Sabretooth is still hanging on to 2nd place, but now they share that spot with _Thor's Hammer_ their teams are tied with a score of 20 points."

"After scoring 10 points today the ladies of Valkyrie Sword jump up two spots to 4th place with a total of 19 points," said Johann.

" _Blue Pegasus_ on the other fallen down to 5th place with a total of 17 points," said Theron.

"And falling back down to 6th place is _Blazing Puppy_ ," said Agnar trying to hold back a laugh.

"No!" Thuggory yelled and then turned to Bacchus, whose hands were now heavily bandaged. "Please tell me that's not our name now?"

Bacchus shrugged. "The two of us made a bet and I lost so you better get used to it," he said. He then laughed and began leaving the stands. "All right fellows who's going to drink with me tonight?"

"Dad isn't going to like this," Thuggory groaned.

"Although they both earned an impressive 10 points today the two teams that are in a three-way tie with _Blazing Puppy_ are _Dragon tail Team A_ and _Dragon Tail Team B_ both with 12 points," Agnar continued. "Who knows what exciting battles await us on day three will see you then folks."

King Macario got up from his throne. "That was a splendid Magic Game, I can't wait to see what happens tomorrow."

* * *

Throk meanwhile was deep beneath the powers making his way towards the Eclipse Get. He couldn't believe that there was another _Celestial Viking_ in must have been the will of the gods this meant that the project success was practically assured.

Darton on the other hand was deeply concerned. Under the circumstances he had no choice but to take drastic measures.

* * *

In the stands, Jellal too felt unnerved. It was the end of day two and yet he happens detected the strange magic power that he had sensed in years past.

' _As day two of the Grand Magic Games came to a close only five remained until that fateful day_ ,' Fishlegs wrote.

* * *

Later that night Astrid met up with Jellal near the can now. Both of them were hiding beneath an arch and making sure that no one with finite was watching them.

"You haven't sensed anything?" Astrid asked.

"No, not yet," said Jellal shaking his head. "We usually detect a power reminiscent to Drago at the Games, but for some reason we have yet to sense in this year."

"Why do you think that is?"

"I'm not sure, but I can think of a number of possibilities. Let's say Viking is responsible for the power well they might not be attending the Games this year or they could be here in Crocus and their not using that particular magic."

"Or perhaps it could be someone in the tournament that hasn't had the chance to compete yet," Astrid offered.

"If it's from a device or specific location then that makes things slightly more complicated," said Jellal grimly. "Even the device hasn't been activated or there's some sort of filter that's preventing the magic power from seeping out."

"In any case the fact that you aren't sensing it means there's no need for us to worry right now."

"I certainly hope that's true," said Jellal though he looked sceptical. "Tomorrow I will do some investigating of the event organisers."

"Try not to draw any attention to yourself," said Astrid.

"I've learned my lesson, Ultear drew that point home loud and clear," said Jellal as he walked off.

Astrid merely smiled. "Don't push yourself too hard."

"I won't," Jellal promised as he placed his mask back on. "Good night, Astrid."

Astrid herself then started to make a way back towards the inn her team were staying at. Jellal couldn't help but look back and found it hard to believe that the two of them could ever talk one-on-one, who's very grateful to have the opportunity.

* * *

Astrid was now making her way through the marketplace which was now completely empty as practically everyone was in bed.

"It's later than I thought it was," she said with a smile on her face. "I'm willing to bet that the others have finished their partying by now."

"I finally found you!" a voice cried.

"Who goes there?" Astrid turned.

She looked up and saw looking down at her from the terrace was the hooded girl from _Valkyrie's Sword_.

The hooded girl laughed. "Don't tell me you forgot about the call me?"

Astrid's eyes widened, because she recognised the voice. "You're… It's really you!" she gasped.

The hooded girl lowered her hood to reveal a much older Neria. "It's been a while Astrid," she smiled.

"Neria!" Astrid cried.

Neria immediately jumped on the two girls at one another in a friendly embrace. Astrid immediately spun her around filled with excitement.

"I missed you so much," she cried.

"It's so good to see you," said Astrid putting her down. Neria was now as tall as she was, but other than that she hadn't changed in the slightest. "Look at you. Have you joined a guild?"

"Yeah," Neria nodded grabbing Astrid's hands. "I'm a member of _Valkyrie's Sword_."

"What about Tamlen and Oghren did they join along with you?"

"Are you kidding me? We don't allow any boys in our Guild so they can join if they wanted."

Astrid looked slightly disappointed. "Oh, I see."

"You'd be happy to know that they're out travelling the world, I still talk to them every once in a while," Neria smiled.

"That's good," said Astrid.

Then the two girls hugged one another once again.

"I can't tell you how happy I am to see you," said Astrid as tears formed in her eyes. "Neria."

"Likewise Astrid," said Neria also crying.

"Silly me, I was worried about you," said Astrid crying even harder.

"Aw, please don't cry," Neria pleaded.

"Sorry," said Astrid brushing the tears out of her eyes. "But you are too."

* * *

Meanwhile at the inn, the rest of _Dragon Tail_ were having a party with Thuggory and Bacchus. Most of the members were now flat on the floor after drinking too much.

Bacchus laughed. "Nice try you guys, let's try one more time your soul will be shaken and stirred!"

The only members of _Dragon Tail_ that was still conscious were Hiccup and his team, minus Astrid of course.

"You certainly know how to throw a party," Hiccup laughed.

"Well, you guys sure have spirit," said Bacchus.

"You have to have spirit if you want to join our Guild," said Toothless.

Thuggory laughed. "I remember all those tedious Guild meetings we had."

"Don't remind me," said Hiccup. "Our dads always challenged one another to something or other."

Thuggory laughed and looked at his watch. "It's getting pretty late, we should probably starting back to our hotel soon."

"Where in the hell is keeping Astrid?" Bacchus frowned.

Hiccup nodded. "Yeah, she's been gone quite a long time."

"She said she had to take care of something whatever that means," said Ragnar.

Merrill looked at Bacchus. "Do you think your arms will be okay tomorrow?"

"To be honest with you kid I can barely feel a thing right now," Bacchus laughed.

"Not surprising considering how often you drink," Thuggory laughed.

The two of them then got up and started to make their leave, but Bacchus stopped and looked at Hiccup.

"Whoops, almost forgot something," he said. "Tell your cousin, it's Snotlout right? I hope he makes a speedy recovery. Man, that was a seriously wild battle tell him that I hope we get the chance to lock horns again at some point during the tournament."

"I'll be sure to tell him," Hiccup promised.

"Well, see ya tomorrow," said Thuggory.

Fishlegs was barely conscious and had a massive hangover. "Don't talk so loudly, my head feels like it's going to explode," he groaned.

Hiccup looked at everyone. "Has anyone seen my Dad?"

"Well, he had a drinking contest with Master Mogadon," said Merrill.

"He's probably passed out on the floor somewhere," said Ragnar.

"Hey, Ruby," said Fishlegs getting to his feet.

Ruby immediately looked at Fishlegs realise that they had woken him up. "Oh, I'm so sorry Fishlegs. We didn't need to wake you," she said apologetically.

"I needed to get up anyway," Fishlegs groaned rubbing his forehead. "Something wrong? You look upset are you okay?"

Ruby indeed looked deeply troubled. "That _Celestial Viking_ from _Sabretooth_ Guild."

"You mean… Vala right?" Merrill asked.

"Yeah, she was pretty good," Fishlegs nodded. "She had pretty strong spirits and she even have a crazy 13th one but she still managed to lose the match somehow."

"What worries me is that she better life on that fight. I can't help but wonder what's going to happen to her," said Ruby.

"Now that you mention it that is distressing," Merrill nodded.

"I've heard on the grapevine that there Guild Master is not one to tolerate weakness," said Hiccup.

Ragnar looked at him. "Really? Know anything about the guy?"

Hiccup shook his head. "Only rumours. I even told mostly of the Guild Masters and they know very little about him either."

"But don't all the Guild Masters meet to discuss situations with the Viking Council?" Ruby frowned.

"He doesn't show from what I hear he doesn't even talk to the other Guilds and barely acknowledges them."

"He's out of my piece of work," said Ragnar. "You think that he is the one that turned Sting into what he is now."

"Those are my thoughts exactly," Hiccup nodded.

"Hey," said voice. They turned and saw Thuggory sticking his head out of the door. "You guys have got some visitors." He then turned to the visitors. "I guess you can go in."

Then suddenly emerging into the inn were none other than Lyon and Shanyla much to Ragnar's dismay.

"Lyon? And isn't that Ashelin's cousin?" Hiccup blinked.

"It's Shanyla," said Merrill. "That is her name, right?"

"Whatever it is, I got the feeling that he is gonna be a pain in the butt," said Fishlegs.

* * *

Meanwhile at the inn where _Sabretooth_ was staying at, Crocus Garden, the Guild Master, Jiemma the Ruthless, of the Guild was looking at it entire Guild with disdain. He was about moment sitting on a throne like chair eating some fruit on a side table like a king.

He was a muscular man in his 60s with white hair and an expression that could kill you in a blink. He had the _Sabretooth_ Guild on his forehead and wore a blood-red T-shirt with only one sleeve, he also wore a pair of combat trousers and was wearing sandals.

"Your performance today was utterly pathetic you miserable wretches!" he roared barely able to look at them. "Don't tell me you've forgotten why we stand above the other Viking Guilds in this competition? We don't look at the insects around us, we don't talk to them.

"We crushed them underneath our feet, where focused on something much greater than this tournament. We aim to stun the heavens to rouse the land beneath us, the gods above us and silenced the raging seas. For you see that is the _Sabretooth_ way."

He then turns attention to Sting. "Sting."

"Sir," said Sting taking a step forward. "I have decided to give you one more chance to redeem yourself. I do not ever want to see such a pitiful display from you again."

"Thank you, Master Jiemma," said Sting gratefully. "I will do my best to live up to your expectations."

Jiemma looked as if he hadn't heard a word he said and turns attention upon Vala. "Vala."

"Yes, sir," said Vala as Sting returned to his spot among the crowd and she took his place.

"There is no excuse for what happened in your match," he said looking at her with disdain. "Do you realise what you have done?"

"Yes, sir," Vala nodded and bowed. "Please, forgive me. I lost to an opponent from a lesser Guild I have brought shame to _Sabretooth_ I have tarnished good name."

Jiemma then tossed a bunch of grapes in the face and the juice covered her. "That's not what I'm talking about!" he roared. "You chose to bet your life on the battle and you lost, even worse you let your enemy show mercy on you and your Guild. You are an embarrassment to _Sabretooth_!"

"Yes," Vala nodded as the juice ran down her hair. "I am fully prepared to accept any punishment that you feel that is appropriate, sir."

"Good girl," said Jiemma looking at her as if she was an insect he was about to squash. "Then you will throw it all away."

"Yes, sir," she nodded trying her best to hold back the tears. "If that is what you wish."

* * *

Day two of the Grand Magic Games soon came to a close those still in last place the _Dragon Tail_ Guild was hitting their stride and managed to gain some momentum. However, they remain unaware that behind-the-scenes of the glamorous festival something inconceivable continues to move forward little by little.


	40. Hatred at Nightfall

At Crocus Garden, Vala was standing in front of Jiemma with her back to her guild mates. She then reached for her cloak and had it fall to her feet and then she started did the rest with a close.

"Isn't this going a bit far?" said Skull looking at Hookfang.

"This isn't the time talking, Skull," Hookfang hissed.

A few moments later, Vala was now standing completely naked with her back to her guild mates with Jiemma looking straight at her. She felt as if she was gonna die with embarrassment, but said nothing knowing that if she said anything else Jiemma would do something worse. Instantly she covered her privates with her arms leaving her guild emblem which was on the left side of her waist.

"You no longer deserve that emblem. Erase it!" Jiemma ordered.

"Yes," Vala cried.

Most of her guild mates were looking away including Rogue, but others like Sting just looked at her.

"I haven't been here for very long, but thanks for all that you've done for me," she said.

"I don't need your gratitude," said Jiemma dismissively. "Out of my sight!"

* * *

Later that night, Sting and Rogue made their way to their rooms and discussing Vala's dismissal.

"Master can be so intense, I mean that hurt to watch," said Sting.

"Well, it can't be helped there's a reason with the most powerful Guild in all of Septem," said Hookfang.

"Still dismissing her like this seemed a bit overboard," said Skull.

Rogue then came to a stop and looked at Sting. "Is this really how guilds work?" Steering stopped in his tracks and looked at her. "Vala was one of us wasn't she?"

"She screwed up so she's out," Sting shrugged. "You know what they say about the weakest link, she would have just held us back."

He then walked off along with Hookfang, but Rogue and Skull just remained behind.

"Oh, did you hear rumour has it Minerva is going to take Vala's place in the line-up," said Hookfang.

Sting smiled. "Right on, with our five strongest together we'll dominate this tournament."

Skull looked up at Rogue. "You think this was excessive don't you?" he said.

"It's not what I would have done," she admitted. "However, there's nothing we can do about it, but I promise the same thing won't happen to us."

Skull smiled at her. "I'll hold you to that."

* * *

Meanwhile Hiccup, Ruby, Merrill, Toothless and Stormfly were making their way back to their inn for the night.

"What I was quite a wild party," said Hiccup.

"That's an understatement," said Stormfly.

"At least we have some fun," said Toothless.

"The inn should be somewhere around here, right?" said Merrill looking around.

"Yep, it won't be long now," Ruby smiled.

"I probably shouldn't get my hopes up, but do we have separate rooms?" Merrill asked.

"No way, we can barely afford one," Ruby sighed.

"Don't worry we need some privacy for you girls," Hiccup assured.

"By that he means some curtains," said Ruby.

"Me and Ragnar did the best we could with what materials we can and Astrid was okay with it," said Hiccup defensively.

"Speaking of which do you know where they ran off?" Toothless asked.

"Well, I can't speak for Astrid, but Ragnar is dealing with a little crazy of his own," said Stormfly.

Ragnar was back in the inn with Heather and Lyon were apparently discussing his love life much to his dismay.

"I'm more concerned about Astrid, I mean she's out there although," said Hiccup.

"This is Astrid were talking about, I think she can look after herself," said Ruby.

"I think that she wanted to talk to Jellal," said Toothless.

"Still it shouldn't take her that long," said Stormfly.

"She's probably getting in a single workout before tomorrow's Games," said Ruby.

"Yeah, we really need to get out of last place," said Toothless.

They soon approached the inn and then found that there was someone the already there. It was a young elven girl and she looked very familiar to them.

"The girl at the inn looks familiar," said Hiccup.

"Yes, she does, but where have we seen her before?" Merrill nodded.

Ruby could barely see her since there were still quite a fair distance away. "Geez, how can you say from this far away?"

As they got closer they soon realise that it was Vala, but she was wearing different clothes and had a suitcase next to her.

Hiccup frowned. "Hey, aren't you…"

"It's that girl from _Sabretooth_ ," Merrill stared.

"Yeah, she's a _Celestial Viking_ ," said Ruby.

* * *

Meanwhile Astrid was with Neria in the marketplace she was still completely overwhelmed that she met her old friend after so long, of course her name was far longer.

"I was going to wait to make my big reveal until after we won the Games, but I wanted to see you so badly that I couldn't take it," said Neria resting her head on her shoulder. "Oh, Astrid lets run away together and be happy."

"You're so silly," said Astrid smiling. "I have to say I was very impressed with your guild mate, Camicazi was it?"

"Yeah, she's something else," said Neria. "Now that you mention it she might even be stronger than you Astrid."

Astrid smiled back. "In that case I hope I get the chance to fight her."

"Well this is a tournament so you might get your wish will soon, but somehow I don't think that Camicazi would fight very seriously, not yet."

"Why do you say that?" Astrid frowned.

Neria looked at her. "You saw how she didn't draw her _Archenemy Sword_ , right?"

"That's a pretty vicious sounding name for a sword," said Astrid.

Neria then lost her smile. "It's like a reminder she'll never draw that sword until it's time to strike down the person she named it for." Astrid just stared at her now looking quite concerned. "The man she hates so much… she won't be satisfied until he finally deep in the ground. She'll do whatever it takes to put him there herself. She'll draw her sword to kill Jellal."

Astrid's eyes widened almost immediately.

"I don't blame," Neria continued unaware of Astrid's expression. "You feel the same way don't you Astrid?" Astrid just looked at her in silence. "I know you do, I have never stopped hating Jellal. He used us like tools, he took Olaf away from us. For all those sins, he has to pay."

Astrid was unable to say a single word and felt deeply uncomfortable with Neria hatred and wondered why Camicazi hated Jellal so much to kill him.

"He will and that is the reason I joined Camicazi Guild," said Neria with hatred in her eyes.

* * *

Meanwhile at the inn, Hiccup and the others invited Vala into their hotel room. She just sat there was silence for a little while as did they.

"So why are you here?" Toothless asked.

"Yes, don't keep us in suspense," said Stormfly.

"The truth is I want to see you," she said looking at Ruby.

Ruby blinked. "'To see me?' But what about?"

"My Guild… I have just left there and I have something to discuss with you," said Vala.

Hiccup stood there with his arms folded. "I hope that they didn't send you to mess with her?"

"Let's hear her out, I don't think she wants to hurt anybody," said Merrill looking up at him.

"I realise that this is out of the blue, but…" Vala then placed her Celestial Zodiac keys on the table. "Please take these. The _Key of the Two Fish_ and the _Key of the Balance_ , I want you to have. They should belong to somebody who can use them properly."

"What?" Ruby stared.

Hiccup showed no emotion, but Merrill was just as surprised as Ruby as was Toothless and Stormfly.

"No way," said Ruby. "I couldn't please think this through."

"I already have, I made up my mind after watching you fight," said Vala. "I was going to give them to you once the tournament was over anyway."

Hiccup frowned. "Why not wait until then? You are hindering your own guild."

"The Games were over for me the moment I lost," said Vala quietly. They all just sat there in science and then she looked at back at them. "Minerva will take my place. Tomorrow you will be up against _Sabretooth's_ strongest. The five members that transformed the Guild into the Powerhouse it is today."

Toothless looked up. "Wait, you mean…"

They remembered what Wartihog had said before the Games began about Sabretooth having five powerful members.

"But we for that you were one of the five?" Stormfly stared.

"Normally a newcomer like me wouldn't compete, but Lady Minerva was on a job and couldn't make it. So I stepped in for her," said Vala.

"But why are you doing this?" Merrill frowned. "I thought the Spirits were precious to the _Celestial Vikings_."

"Yes, that's true and that is precisely why I want to hand them over to Ruby," said Vala. "It is clear that she is a superior _Celestial Viking_ they would be much happier in her possession."

"I appreciate the compliment, but am afraid the answer is still no," said Ruby taken aback slightly.

"Please you must take them. You will already managed to gather 10 of the 12 Zodiac keys all you have to say is yes. With these in your possession you'll have them all in the Door of World Change will open."

Ruby looked up. "'Door of World Change will open?'"

"What does that mean?" Hiccup asked.

Merrill looked down at Stormfly. "Think you can look into the future Stormfly?"

"Sorry, but that power does not work on demand, child," said Stormfly.

"It's just an old legend, to tell you the truth I don't understand what it means either," said Vala. "But there is one thing that I'm sure of. Over the past few years the number of _Celestial Vikings_ has plummeted. Giving the kick to our numbers during the _Temple of Thor_ incident it's possible that you and I are the only ones left. I also know that the spirits love you and you love them in return. If anyone should have them, it should be someone that is connected to them."

Everyone just stayed there in silence as they looked down at the keys until Ruby finally spoke. "Thanks, but I can't take them."

Vala was taken aback instead at her.

" _Celestial Magic_ is about the bonds we formed with our spirits, it's not as easy to give up ownership of them as you might think."

"I know," said Vala. "Trust me this isn't easy for me."

Ruby gave her confused look.

Vala then stood up. "Forget about it. I had a feeling that would be your answer from the start, but for better or for worse I'm sure that all 12 keys will find their way together someday."

She then smiled at Ruby and she can help but smile back.

"I hope this isn't the last time we meet," she said before leaving the hotel.

* * *

About 10 minutes later, Ruby and the girls were starting to get change for bed.

"You missed a golden opportunity," said Stormfly.

"I'm with Stormfly on this one," said Merrill as he undid the buttons on her shirt. "I'm not sure that I could have said no."

Ruby was removing her boots and smiled at them. "A long time ago I would have jumped at the chance to have all 12 Zodiac keys, but I haven't wanted that for a while now."

Merrill and Stormfly started at her.

"She may be a member of _Sabretooth_ , but it's obvious that she cares for her spirits the same way that I do. I would be at risk was Celestial Viking if I allow her to sever their bond at least that's how I feel anyway."

Merrill and Stormfly looked at one another and smiled.

"So where did Hiccup and Toothless went?" Stormfly asked.

"They went after Vala they said that they forgot to tell her something important," said Merrill.

* * *

Vala was dragging her suitcase down the street.

"Hey! Wait up!" Hiccup's voice yelled.

"Please stop!" Toothless yelled.

Vala turning to her surprise he saw Hiccup and Toothless running towards her.

"It's Hiccup," she blinked. "What could he want with me?"

"Thanks for stopping," said Hiccup. "Anyway I've got something to say to you."

Vala was taken aback.

"Don't worry it's nothing mean," said Toothless quickly.

"I aim to apologise," said Hiccup.

Vala blinked. "Apologise?"

"Yeah, let's just say that we been a bit sceptical of Guilds lately," said Toothless.

"You told me all the way out here just to apologise to me?" said Vala stunned.

"It's the least I can do after looking so down in the dumps," said Hiccup. "Though following you out in the dead of night probably would seem a bit creepy."

"No, you're kind," she said quietly.

"Glad I got that off my chest," said Hiccup.

Then Vala began to cry.

"Was it something I said?" said Hiccup.

"There's no need to cry," said Toothless quickly.

Vala then placed a hand over her eyes and fell to her knees crying like crazy. "I can't take it," she cried.

"What?" Hiccup asked awkwardly.

"It's just… no one has ever been this kind or shown this much concern for me," Vala cried. "I look up to them once, the members of _Sabretooth_ were my idols I finally joined them, but now I'll never… get to step foot in the Guild again."

Hiccup and Toothless stared at her.

"I was forced to leave because I was defeated," Vala cried. "I was humiliated in front of everyone. "He made me remove my clothes and forced me to remove my own Guild emblem."

Hiccup and Toothless stared at her.

"It was so frustrating and embarrassing," she cried. "He took my self-respect and shattered into pieces. _Sabretooth_ was my home and I'll never see it again!"

Hiccup was having a hard time to control his anger. "Well, that's too bad. Normally, I don't worry about what happens inside the other guilds…"

"Hiccup," said Toothless looking concerned.

"I'm sorry, it's not your business," Vala cried. "I just couldn't hold it back."

Hiccup clenched his fist in rage. "You're right it's not my business, but my former students a member of the Guild. It appears he really has anything away that I have taught him, I told him that feelings and family were the most important of any Guild. Humiliating you in front of your friends is bad enough, but making you await your own emblem that goes too far! A Guild supposed to treat each other like family and show respect to its fellow guild mates!"

Vala just stared at him as these beliefs about the Guild were foreign to her.

* * *

Meanwhile Astrid was leaning against the terrace thinking about what Neria had said. She wasn't sure how Neria would react if she met Jellal face-to-face or even understand that Jellal hadn't truly been himself.

"Hey, Astrid. What's up?" said Ragnar's voice. Astrid turned and saw Ragnar standing directly behind. "Something the matter?"

"Hello, Ragnar. I'm fine," she lied. "Don't worry." She then looked at him. "So what brings you here all alone?"

Ragnar groaned. "After dealing with Lyon's crazy nonsense all night I figured I could use some fresh air to clean my head. It didn't help that Heather was standing there listening to the entire thing."

"You think it's nonsense, huh?" Astrid smiled. "Come on, I mean I wasn't even there and I bet I could tell you exactly what he wanted to talk to you about."

Ragnar's face went completely pink.

"Come on, you and Heather are a perfect match. You should tell how you feel you'll a lot better," said Astrid. Ragnar just stood there in silence and she sighed. "Ragnar, trust me when I say you don't want to waste a single moment. When I thought I was going to die the one thing I regret it was not telling Hiccup how I felt sooner."

Ragnar looked at her curiously. "Are you sure there's nothing wrong?"

"Yes," she lied.

Ragnar wasn't completely convinced.

"It's getting late," said Astrid getting up straight. "We should get back to the inn."

* * *

Meanwhile in his chambers at the palace, Throk was going through a multitude of ancient writing that referenced Celestial Vikings, the 12 Zodiac keys and the Eclipse Gate.

"One Viking with 10 of the keys and another with two of them," he smiled. "I couldn't ask for a better situation. With all 12 Eclipse will work as I imagined. It will be soon, Drago! Very soon!"

He then laughed.

* * *

Meanwhile Sting was having a nice peaceful sleep in his room at the hotel they were staying at with Hookfang close by. Then suddenly there was a massive explosion that shook the entire place.

Sting woke up with a start. "What the hell was that?"

"The party maybe?" Hookfang asked.

Rouge then opened the bedroom door fully dressed. "We've got an intruder Sting!" she said.

Skull then flew over the Rogue. "Whoever it is causing quite a bit of a ruckus!"

Sting narrowed his eyes. "Whoever it is must have a death wish. What kind of idiot would storm in and start messing with our Guild?"

He then immediately got dressed and run down the hallway with Rogue.

"Who is it?" he asked.

"No idea, but if they think they are getting out of here alive they're in for a real shock," said Rogue.

Suddenly the door leading to the main hall way burst open and a member of the Guild flew right past them. They quickly rushed towards the main hall in time to witness a massive burst of flames knocking back more than members.

When the smoke cleared eyes widened because they saw Hiccup punching two of them members away like rag dolls.

"Where is Jiemma!" he demanded as he drew _Inferno_ and set another one of their members flying. "I wish to talk to him!"

Sting and Rogue just stared in bewilderment as did Hookfang and Skull.

"You better bring him out now!" Hiccup roared.

Jiemma then pushed away some of their members and made his presence known. "If you have something to say to me you should say," he said.

"So you're Jiemma the Ruthless and I have to say you wear that title very well," said Hiccup narrowing his eyes. "So it's one loss and you're out on the street, huh? Those are certainly very strict rules and I have to say that I disagree with them!"


	41. Pandemonium

Hiccup was now squaring Jiemma right into the eye, but the _Sabretooth_ Guild Master didn't look intimidated in the slightest.

"Did you come all this way just to talk to me?" said Jiemma. "Very foolish."

"Normally I don't care how a Guild operates, but after what I saw I couldn't just take this lying down," said Hiccup narrowing his eyes. "As Guild Master your duty to protect your charges not turn your back on them! How you ever became Guild Master is beyond me and now you're starting to poison everyone here with your beliefs! It makes me sick."

Rogue stared at him. ' _Is he talking about Vala?_ '

Sting merely gritted his teeth. ' _Who does he think he is? How our Guild operates is none of his damn business_.'

"I don't know what you're talking about, but it sounds like to me that you think that everyone else should behave by your personal moral code," said Jiemma.

Anger then erupted inside Hiccup. "How the hell do you not know what I'm talking about?"

"Hey, Dash deal with this intruder," said Jiemma.

Suddenly appearing alongside Jiemma was a guy in a ninja outfit. "Yes, sir," he nodded.

"So you're letting your underlings during your fighting for you?" said Hiccup.

"I don't feel like wasting my time disposing insect like you, I am the master of this Guild which means I can do whatever I want," said Jiemma looking at him as if he was some sort of cockroach.

Hiccup then spread it towards him. "If you truly wish to fight me you should do it yourself!" he yelled.

"I will not let you near our Master," said Dash.

He then fired at the pure light from his hand straight at Hiccup, who immediately jumped out of the way. Dash then spread it towards him and flung a few kicks his way, but Hiccup was able to dodge them and he somersaulted over him.

Dash performed a few somersaults before kneeling at the far side of the hall. "Although I may not be participating in the Grand Magic Games this year," he said and then vanished. He then reappeared directly behind Hiccup. "I am just as skilled in battle as those who represent our Guild."

He then disappeared and appeared right above Hiccup. "Now you will take the true power of Sabretooth!" he yelled and fired several smoke bombs.

The smoke bombs hit the floor and different coloured smoke appeared around Hiccup.

"Your little smokescreen will work on me," said Hiccup just standing there.

Dash then created daggers are pure light then tossed them straight at Hiccup, but he drew _Inferno_ and deflected the attacks. Dash then reappeared directly behind ready to deal the final blow.

"I suggest that you leave at once or face the consequences!" he yelled running towards him. His hand then turned to a blade of pure light and swung it towards Hiccup. "Now!"

However, Hiccup removed his body and the last second avoiding the attack and then his fist was covered in flames.

"Get out of my way!" he yelled slamming his blazing fist right into his chest.

He had so hard that Dash was sent flying across the hallway, past Sting and slammed right into the door.

"I haven't got time for you," said Hiccup.

Sting just stood there in a daze as were the other members of _Sabretooth_.

"Odin's breathed."

"He defeated Dash?"

"Whoa, he's strong," said Skull in bewilderment.

"He just took out one of the toughest guys in our Guild like he was nothing," Hookfang stared.

"If you want a job done right you have to do it yourself," Jiemma grumbled as he approached Hiccup.

"I only came here to talk, but if I have to fight you to make you listen then I will," said Hiccup glaring straight at him.

"Master, I'll take him," said Sting taking a step forward.

Jiemma held out his arm to stop him. "You'll stay out of this!"

Hiccup then came charging towards Jiemma with a firm grip of _Inferno_ which glowed purple.

Jiemma looked straight at him. "No one in my Guild has your kind of spirit, boy. It's interesting," he said. Hiccup then swung _Inferno_ towards him, but Jiemma blocked it with his bare arm. "But spirit is not enough!"

He then unleashed a powerful burst of magic which pushed Hiccup back. However, Hiccup held his ground and then dealt him a powerful blazing uppercut with his fist. This attack causing completely by surprise and caused them to lower his guard.

Hiccup took clear advantage of this and began swinging flaming fists at him in a relentless barrage. Everyone stared as their master got pummelled by Hiccup, who looked as if he was even tired.

Hiccup then pulled his fist back and then suddenly fire and lightning began to form around it.

Sting's eyes widened upon seeing this. "He's mastered it?"

" _Lightning Flame Dragon's Firing Hammer!_ " he roared.

He then swung his fist towards Jiemma and seconds later there was a huge explosion of fire and lightning. It was so powerful that it destroyed the very roof and the _Sabretooth_ Guild members just stared completely terrified.

However, when the smoke cleared standing between Hiccup and Jiemma was a black haired woman in a blue dress. Her hands were glowing and became very apparent that somehow she was able to block Hiccup's attack and deflected all across the room.

"Minerva," said Jiemma.

"Milady," Sting stared.

"Certainly you agree this little quarrel of ours has gone too far," said Minerva looking at Hiccup.

Hiccup looked at her. "I'm impressed that you were able to deflect my attack."

Jiemma glared down at her. "How dare you get in my way? This does not concern you!"

"Please, forgive me," she said. "You could easily defeat this man so I am not doing this for your sake father."

"He's your Dad," said Hiccup slightly taken aback.

"Like you my bloodline runs into the Guild leadership," said Minerva looking at him. She then looked at him business-like. "We must take into consideration how this altercation would appear to the outside world, despite the fact that you are clearly the aggressor in this situation our Master killing another competitor with leaves _Sabretooth_ in awkward position to say the least. It would certainly put a dampener on the games."

"Confident about your abilities aren't you," said Hiccup. "I only came here to talk, but I had a feeling that your father wouldn't listen unless I showed a show of strength."

"You have enraged both my father and his men and their not the types to take this provocation lightly," said Minerva. "What do you say? Will you allow me to resolve this unpleasantness in a peaceful manner?"

"Depends on your definition of a peaceful matter," said Hiccup folding his arms.

Then suddenly appearing in Minerva's hand was Toothless tied up in rope.

"Be aware that it is also the only way that your kitten will be returned to you unharmed," Minerva warned.

"Toothless!" Hiccup yelled.

"She can't be by surprise," said Toothless glaring up at Minerva.

"You taking your anger on quite a few of our members, but I am willing to overlook this incident entirely if you cooperate," said Minerva. "Agreed to our terms and we can agree to continue the Games as if nothing happened."

Hiccup then laughed much to the surprise of everyone. "Toothless, why don't you quit the charade?"

"How to make them feel good about themselves," Toothless smiled.

Minerva looked at him in confusion and then suddenly Toothless began to glow and the ropes tore away from him. When the light faded they found that Toothless was in his battle mode and was now standing next to Hiccup.

"What the?" Hookfang stared.

"Looks like he is tougher than you thought," said Skull.

Minerva looked at Hiccup. "It would seem as if you Dragons have several tricks up your sleeve."

"You have any seen them all," Hiccup smirked. "However, I only came here to talk as I said so I will leave peacefully." He then looked at Sting. "It would seem as if everything I have taught you has faded from your mind and I am so disappointed."

Hiccup then turned and walked away and Toothless followed him.

"You've got some serious gut for such a fool," said Jiemma.

"We can settle this matter once and for all inside the arena," said Minerva. "Where we'll show you no mercy."

Hiccup then came to a stop. "Fine, but you will never beat us. We had a whole other level."

All the Sabretooth members narrow their eyes at him.

Hiccup then turned his head to look at them. "Because a real Guild treated members like family. That is what I wanted to tell you tonight."

He then walked off through the ruined door.

Rogue just watched him as he left. ' _He may be right, but that's not how we treat each other here_.'

Sting was shaking like mad. ' _That was crazy. He's way stronger than he was when he trained me._ '

"Hey! I call first game tomorrow!" Orga yelled. "And I'm going to make sure that Dragon Tail punks pay for what they did!"

"Your black lightning shall make their very souls tremble," said Ilos.

"Indeed, we shall respond accordingly to this act of disrespect," Minerva nodded. She then looked at an appalling guild mates in the ruins of the hotel. "Though I must admit disturbances such as these do keep things exciting and since Vala is no longer with us I shall take it upon myself to fill her vacancy."

* * *

Soon Hiccup return to the inn and explained what had happened and the others were best pleased the way he acted.

"What?" Ruby stared. "You went and picked a fight with the Master of _Sabretooth_!"

"No, I wanted to talk it was he then wanted to fight," said Hiccup folding his arms. "However before things got really intense his daughter Minerva stopped things."

"Yeah by kidnapping me and holding the ransom," said Toothless.

"At least it ended peacefully," said Stormfly.

"Yeah, if Hiccup had injured anybody on the team are entire Guild could have been kicked out of the games or worse," said Merrill.

"I have to say the entire Guild was very arrogant," said Hiccup folding his arms.

"I have to say that I'm surprised that you did any of that?" said Ragnar staring at him. "Normally you don't like to pick a fight with anyone."

"Look after what I heard what happened to Vala and combine the back of my former pupil is with them could you really expect me to sit back and do nothing?" Hiccup asked.

Ragnar sighed. "No, I suppose you couldn't."

"I think you guys are missing the point!" Ruby yelled.

"Hiccup I know you had your reasons for being angry with them, but you have to save it for the competition," said Astrid calmly.

"I know," said Hiccup. "We can use this opportunity to pay for what they did to poor Vala. Being in a Guild should mean that you should never turn your back on them no matter what."

Stormfly nodded. "There's a big difference between strict and cruel. I would have to say they crossed the line with the way they treated that poor girl this evening. Completely uncalled for."

"At the she was humiliated like that she still came over here and try to give me her Celestial Gate Keys an act of kindness," said Ruby.

"I wonder if she even has anyone else to go," Merrill frowned. "I'm worried about her."

"Well she can never go back to her Guild that's for sure," said Toothless.

"I can't believe that Sting ever joined a guild like that," said Hiccup rubbing the back of his head. "I told him that joining in a Guild will be the best thing for him, but clearly he was more looking for strength then compassion."

"You know the chances are that all the members of _Sabretooth_ will have a personal vendetta against us our Guild," said Ragnar.

"Then we'll have to deal with it," said Astrid. She then looked at Hiccup. "Tell me about this Minerva? Do you have any idea what kind of magic she wields?"

"And not entirely certain, but she appeared out of nowhere in the blink of an eye and somehow managed to deflect my attack," said Hiccup.

"I never heard of any kind of _Teleportation Magic_ ," Ruby frowned.

"It might not even be that," said Hiccup. "As for the personality she seems to be calm and calculative, but I imagine that she has some of the father's cruelty minus his temper."

"Sounds troubling," Astrid frowned. "I think its best we try and get a good night sleep, we'll need to be at our best for tomorrow."

The next morning there was a lot of chatter because the rumours of Hiccup's attack on _Sabretooth_ was spreading. However, the one you who attacked _Sabretooth_ or even why.

"Did you hear what happened?"

"You mean last night?"

"What was it?" a woman asked.

"Some nut job went over towards the inn where _Sabretooth_ is staying at and just started to tear up the place."

"What kind of idiot would pick a fight with those guys? They must have a death wish."

They then laughed and Vala was passing close by and overhear their conversation.

"I know right."

"There's always fights outside the tournament," the woman.

"Yeah, well they needed to do it out on the street to entertain the rest of us."

They then laughed and Vala looked up at the Coliseum. She wondered if it was Hiccup who attacked _Sabretooth_. Thinking back it did look a bit furious after hearing about the way _Sabretooth_ had treated her.

"No way," she said shaking her head.

* * *

Meanwhile the seats at the Coliseum were getting filled as the third day of the Grand Magic Games began.

"Welcome to day three of the _Grand Magic Games_ which put us at the halfway point," said Agnar.

"So you should expect to see things heating up as the competitors do whatever they can in order to make up last-minute points," said Johann.

"I personally will be my best behaviour with tonight's guest, from the Viking Council its Captain Alistair!" said Agnar.

Sitting next to Johann was Alistair and Johann can help but smile at him. "It has certainly been a while."

"Thank you for having me here," said Alistair.

"As Captain of the Honour Guard your job is to capture the bad guys, isn't that right?" Agnar asked.

"Yes," Alistair nodded. "And let me remind any would-be cheaters that I'm watching you."

Everyone laughed and Alistair smiled.

"That's right, he's got eyes at the back of his head and he never sleeps, so no funny stuff," said Agnar.

* * *

In the foyer was Alron and he was making his way towards the stands.

"Damn you, Alistair," he grumbled. "You just have to drag me in with you."

* * *

It had been a few days before the Grand Magic Games and Alistair had just informed him that he was going to become a guest speaker.

"They want you to be a guest at the Grand Magic Games?" Alron stared. "What did you tell them?"

"I told them that I would be happy to," said Alistair. "You should come along with me it will be fun."

"Thanks, but I'll pass," said Alron as he was busy sorting files.

"The full ranks of _Dragon Tail_ will be participating this year, wouldn't you like to see them all alive and well?" Alistair asked.

"Of course I would, but they don't want to see me."

Alistair signed. "How many times do I have to tell you? It's in the past beside you left them to save your own life. Everybody is looking towards the future, we learn from our experience and move ahead. You should too."

* * *

Alron was still making his way towards the stands feeling a bit conflicted. Then suddenly running past he saw Merrill, Gustav, Stormfly and Toothless running as quickly as they could.

"Oh no, we're going to be so late," Merrill panicked.

"I told you that we didn't have enough time to stop to find food," Stormfly snapped at Toothless.

Toothless was carrying a bag of popcorn. "Hey I would enjoy these games with a nice snack."

"Quit flapping your gums and move your feet!" Gustav yelled.

Alron watched as they ran down the hallway.

* * *

Meanwhile the Games were starting to kick off much to the excitement of the crowd.

"Now let's kick off this day with a game that is sure to be exciting," said Agnar over the cheers of the crowd. "One that we call… _Pandemonium_."

"What in the name of Thor does 'pandemonium' mean anyway?" Gustav asked.

"Usually it means chaos or panic, but sometimes it can be referred to a den of demons or monsters," said Stormfly.

Stoick frowned. "Sounds as if this can be a lot of fighting in this game."

"Sounds about right," said Toothless.

"Then clearly combat is going to be key, but there's monsters and demons involved then they become is also a factor," said Hiccup the First.

"As usual we will have just one member from each team competing so please choose wisely," said Agnar.

"I think we can all agree that there is only one person suited for this game," said Hiccup. He then turned Astrid. "Astrid, it's all you."

"You sure?" Astrid asked looking at him.

"Hiccup's right, if this is gonna be a game of courage then we need to choose our most fearless member and that you," Ragnar agreed.

"They're right, I certainly don't want to compete," said Merrill.

"Looks like it unanimous," Ruby smiled.

Astrid smiled. "Very well, I won't let you down," she said and started to make her way down to the arena.

"All right, get us a win Astrid!" Ruby cheered.

"Yeah, you got this!" Merrill cheered.

* * *

At Alvin's team they too were discussing who descend and Agatha took a step forward.

"I think I should be the one to go in for our team," said Agatha.

"You sure?" Eret asked.

"Why are you here in the first place Agatha?" Valka asked. "You're only a reserve member."

Alvin looked round and saw they were one man short. "Yeah, what happened to Mystogan?" he asked.

"I know he's shy, but no one has seen him at all today," said Heather looking troubled.

"The guest announcer is the same guy that arrested him so he decided to sit this one out," Agatha explained.

"Then I hope he's keeping a low profile," said Valka looking troubled.

* * *

At _Valkyrie's Sword_ , the team were deciding who they should send.

"If Astrid is going to be going for her team I want to face against," said Neria.

"Fine, I'll allow it," said Camicazi folding her arms.

* * *

Astrid was already down in the arena and soon Neria ran past her.

"Sorry Astrid, but I'm going to beat you," she said with a large smile on her face.

"Is that so?" Astrid smiled back. Though she couldn't help but remember the hatred she had last night. She then sat herself out of the thoughts. "I mustn't lose focus."

* * *

"Hoping to put her paws on the field for _Valkyrie's Sword_ it's Neria," said Agnar as her image appeared on the lacrima screens.

"Hey, I remember," said Ruby.

"So do I," Hiccup nodded.

"I guess she was the one wearing the hood," said Ragnar. "So she finally joined the Guild?"

* * *

Lexsar looked at Obra. "The council is watching so be careful not to draw their attention, Obra," Lexsar warned.

* * *

Arvin was smiling. "I should go for my fans."

Then there was a countless number of cheers most of them girls.

* * *

Orga clenched his fists. "I said I was going to take this one last night. I'll give them all a taste of my black lightning that they'll never forget," he said.

"Try not get ahead of yourself we don't even know what this game entails," Minerva warned.

Ilos chuckled to himself, Sting had a stoic look on his face.

' _It doesn't matter to me_ ,' he said to himself. ' _If Hiccup is not competing then I don't really care who goes._ '

Rogue just stood there in silence contemplating.

* * *

"Jura's going to play in this round?" said Shanyla.

"It's what the Hag wanted so yes," said Lyon.

Torn was still crying over his sock. "My poor sock."

"Just buy a new one dummy," said Veger rolling his eyes.

"Victory is mine," said Jura.

* * *

Soon all the team members selected were announced as they appeared only lacrima screens. _Blazing Puppy_ had selected the plain-looking elf who went by the name of Novail.

"All the competitors have been chosen," said Agnar. "From _Sabretooth_ Orga, from _Thor's Hammer_ Jura, from _Blue Pegasus_ Arvin, from _Raven Tail_ Obra, from _Valkyrie's Sword_ Neria, from _Blazing Puppy_ Novail, from _Dragon Tail A_ Astrid, from _Dragon Tail B_ Agatha! Let's give them a big round of applause folks!"

The crowd cheered their heads off and Alron watched from the stands remaining quiet.

King Macario was looking from his throne and was quite pleased with the competitors selected.

"Show proved to be quite exciting," he said to himself.

Then suddenly a Dark Magic Circle appeared above them and emerging from it was a creepy dark looking fortress which was completely demolished.

"What is this?" Astrid stared.

"I don't know," said Neria.

Arvin immediately summoned his Archive and began typing like mad. "I'll see what Archive brings up," he said.

Eventually it stopped at a large case of stairs leading towards the door slammed onto the ground. The fortress look as tall as the Coliseum, but from what they can tell is extended even further beyond the Dark Magic Circle.

Mindor then appeared to explain the rules. "Before you stand up fortress filled with vicious monsters. That is _Pandemonium_ ," he said.

"Holy crap," Agatha stared.

Jura looked down at the referee. "I take it we are to do battle with these monsters."

"Yes, you are correct, sir," Mindor nodded. "100 terrifying vile beasts are lurking with in the fortress's walls, but do not panic there is no danger of them escaping attacking the crowd. They are magical projections we created solely for this game.

"They are classified by their degree of difficulty we have five classes D, C, B, A and S. The distribution rate is shown here," he said gesturing to a board that appeared next to him.

S X 1

A X 4

B X 15

C X 30

D X 50

"To give you an example let me show you how strong a D Class monster is they are the weakest remember," said Mindor.

Then appearing above him was a screen that showed inside the fortress and there they saw a white armoured creature roaming around. It looked immensely large and it was hard to believe that it was the weakest of all the monsters especially after it demolished a pair of with his bare claw.

"The Pandemonium Fortresses filled to the brim of these vile creatures and many more that are far stronger," Mindor warned. "100 monsters await you."

"I know you said that there were all magical projections, but they could probably still hurt people," said Toothless looking troubled.

"I just hope that Astrid and Agatha come out unscathed," said Stormfly.

"I'm pretty sure they can take care of themselves, but it's still scary," said Gustav.

"These games are getting more extravagant," said Hiccup the First.

"It a little too much if you want my," said Stoick.

There was a lot of talk amongst the crowd as they do seem to be concerned about this game.

Mindor then continued to explain the rules. "Monsters of a higher class are two times stronger than the ones beneath them so if you think that D Class beast was powerful you will lose your mind when the S Class rears its ugly head. I'm not even sure that the Viking Lord could beat one of those."

Jura looked likely troubled by this piece of information.

"You will all take turns in choosing the number of monsters that you wish to fight in each round, we call this the Competitors Right to Challenge."

"So we make the choice," said Astrid.

Mindor nodded. "That is correct. So, for instance you want a fight three monsters then low and behold there will be three waiting inside for you. You will go in alone of course. If you successfully vanquish there are three creatures you will then be awarded three points.

"The next competitor in the rotation will choose a number out of the 97 that still remain to challenge and then the process repeats. The game will end when either all the monsters have been cleared or at the point where everyone runs out of magic power, whichever comes first."

"So this some maths involved, huh?" said Neria.

"Yes, to a degree," Mindor nodded. "After the first round choosing your numbers wisely will become a bit more important, but you'll do well to remember that not all of these monsters are created equal. Whether you choose to test your skills against five monsters or only one they will be chosen completely at random."

"So, that means will have to strategise and use our heads to avoid going against the S Class guy in there," said Avrin.

Orga turned on him. "He just told us that they're going to be chosen at random so how in the hell are you supposed to use any kind of strategy?"

Arvin smirked. "You can't, but I sure can. I know all about probability and my _Archive Magic_ will come in handy."

"Although the higher creatures are more difficult points are solely determined by the number of monsters you can beat. Once go into the fortress you cannot be allowed to leave until you successfully complete your challenge," said Mindor.

"So what happens when you don't believe all of them and get knocked out inside?" Agatha asked.

"You'll keep all the points you accumulated in the previous rounds, but you will also be out of the game. No points will be awarded if you be less than the number you challenged that round."

"It would seem as if not getting overzealous with your challenges is key," said Stoick.

"But if you only find one monster in every round there is no way you can get," said Toothless.

"And they also need to factor in how much magic power they will be able to recover between each round," said Stormfly.

"This game is way more complicated than it seems," said Gustav.

"I'm curious to see how many are members will choose," said Hiccup the First. "I think Bilbo do a very good job."

"Now to decide the order you will go in," said Mindor as a box with eight sticks appeared in his hands. "I would like everyone to please draw a straw."

Astrid took the first straw and saw the number one on it. "I'm going first," he said.

"Man, you're lucky. And I'll be willing to bet that means you'll get the most amount of turns," said Agatha and held her straw out which had the number eight on it. "Meanwhile I'll be stuck back at number eight."

"The interesting," said Astrid looking at the fortress. "I knew winning in this game would determine on the luck of the draw."

"It's far more than that," said Mindor as the others drew their straws. "You have to consider pacing, opponents strength, the likelihood of getting a very powerful monster, list goes on and on. It is quite the complex game if you think about it."

A large smile appeared on Astrid face. "No, in fact this is no longer even a game," she said as he approached the fortress leaving everyone quite confused. "Inside this fortress weight 100 monsters and I'm gonna take them all out in one round."

Everyone just stared at her wide-eyed and open-mouthed.

"Say what?" Mindor gaped.

The announcers, crowd and the other teams were completely bewildered by this statement. Hiccup and Ragnar on the other hand were laughing their heads off as if they had expected this Astrid made her way up the steps into the fortress.


	42. 100 Against 1

Astrid soon entered into the fortress with a confident look upon her face. Everyone outside was watching was going on through the lacrmia screen was still slightly perplexed with the claim of defeating 100 monsters in a single round.

"I'm worried," said Ruby looking deeply troubled.

Ragnar looked at the fortress from the inside. "Weird it looks bigger on the inside somehow."

"It looks like it's upside down," Ruby added.

"I suppose it has to be large with all those monsters inside," said Hiccup.

"I am Astrid Hofferson of _Dragon Tail Team A_ ," said Astrid as she made her way to the centre of the room. "I will face 100!"

Then suddenly appearing across the room were several D Class beasts and they looked particularly hungry. Also there were a set of red coloured beasts that were running onto large legs and had two very stubby looking arms. Plus looking above her was a blue vicious-looking creature with a long tail on one of the pillars.

Merrill was quite fearful upon seeing them. "Are you sure she can take on that many?"

"Even the weakest ones looked at me," said Ruby equally troubled. She then looked at the Hiccup and Ragnar. "Do you think she's got a plan?"

"No clue," said Ragnar shrugging.

Hiccup smiled. "I can. This is nothing, she's got this."

Merrill smiled. "That's Hiccup, he never worries does he?"

"Well, this is his girlfriend we're talking about," Ruby pointed out.

"I wouldn't be taking on that many at once," said Heather.

"She'll get through it somehow," said Eret confidently.

"That's the spirit, just sit back and watch go to work," said Alvin.

"She will be facing that many if she wasn't certain her abilities," said Valka a small smile.

Alron just shook his head. ' _There's that famous recklessness. Those seven years on Cove Island didn't change them as much as I fear._ '

Jellal was in the town and stopped and looked at the Coliseum.

Inside the fortress the monsters then pounced upon Astrid.

" _Requip!_ " she yelled as she began to glow.

She then transformed into a Deadly Nadder armour and sliced through a couple of the D Class monsters with her blades. She then landed on top of one of the pillars and the monsters began to pound the again.

" _Spine Shots!_ " she yelled and then unleashed a barrage of spikes from her back which struck many of the beasts.

During the large Astrid noted a small creature running zigzags across her attack and underneath the monsters.

"Odin's beard!" Agnar gasped. "Astrid Hofferson waste no time and attacks with full force, it's raining destruction is the D Class monsters for one after the other," he said.

S X 1

A X 4

B X 15

C X 30

D X 33

The entire crowd went mad as he just took out 17 D Classes without batting an eyelash.

"Whoa, it looks likely try to wipe them all out at once," said Gustav.

"Doubtful," said Hiccup the First. "I think she used that attack to merely testing the waters. In order to see how her opponents measure up. That way she can discover their weaknesses"

Stoick nodded in agreement. "That definitely it. With that one attack she could tell from an incident which _Requip_ to use against each monster."

Astrid then Requip once again and this time she wore her Night Fury Armour and took down three D Classes with just one swing.

"Her strength skyrocketed," Skullcrusher noted.

"The Night Fury armour, with every single attack the strength increases," Toothless smiled.

"Smart move, she is using brute force to thin their numbers quickly," Stormfly nodded.

"She had to take down as many as he can before she deals with the larger enemies," Cloudjumper nodded.

They watched as Astrid took down another two D Class monsters and a C Class. All the monsters fell one by one until they C Class approached and then fired a burst of flames from its mouth which slammed right into Astrid with immense force.

"No Astrid!" Merrill cried.

"So the bigger ones use magic, huh," said Ragnar.

"Don't worry about it she can deal with a little fire," said Hiccup.

Ruby looked up. "Oh yeah, her Monstrous Nightmare Armour," said Ruby.

The smoke disappeared and they saw that Astrid was now in her Monstrous Nightmare Armour and the attack from the C Class had no effect on her. It didn't stop the creature from attacking her once again, but then suddenly the flames distinguished upon hitting contact with battle-axe that belonged to her Scauldron Armour.

"The blade put out the fire? How is that possible?" Skullcrusher asked.

"That battleaxe belongs to her Scauldron Armour," Toothless explained.

"Fighting fire with water does make sense," Stormfly nodded.

"So now she's missing her armour and weapons together from different sets," said Cloudjumper looking intrigued.

Astrid then jumped into the air just as the C Class-based unleashed flames again and fired a powerful water slice from her battleaxe when she swung it destroying the beast. That was followed by slicing another two C Class monsters.

S X 1

A X 4

B X 15

C X 25

D X 27

"Wow, ma'am!" Agnar yelled. "That five C Classes down in mere seconds!"

The battle continued to rage on and Astrid engaged several D Class beasts. Then more creatures headed straight towards her and she summoned a sword to her hand and a few seconds later there was a massive explosions.

"My word! What's happening?" said Agnar.

When the smoke cleared they saw that Astrid was panting heavily and in her left hand he was holding the sword from her _Monstrous Nightmare Armour_.

"She added her fire sword into the mix," said Skullcrusher.

"It looks like she took some real damage though," Stormfly noted.

Then suddenly appearing in front of her in a surge of bubbles was the blue creature from earlier.

"Are you the S Class beast?" Astrid asked. She then shook her head knowing that the creature will be even more powerful. "No, I guess not."

The B Class monster then unleashed a surge of water from its mouth, but Astrid had transformed into her _Scauldron_ _Armour_ and was holding her spear from her _Skrill Armour_ and destroy the creature with lightning.

"Now she's fighting a foe with _Scauldron Armour_ and a lightning attack," said Gustav in awe.

"Very good," Stoick smiled.

"She can make snap decisions on the fly and nothing can make a loose focus," said Hiccup the First.

Astrid unleashing a massive surge of electricity across the area, but he somersaulted across the arena a B Class monster slammed its claw into her singing her flying. However, Astrid quickly recovered and using the speed from her _Speed Stinger Armour_ combining that with her greatsword from her _Rumblehorn Armour_ she was able to make quick work of the creatures in the area using both speed and power.

"She is truly an amazing fighting," said Hiccup the First with a smile.

S X 1

A X 4

B X 10

C X 15

D X 18

"What precision what roar power 50 monsters have already fallen!" Agnar yelled over the mic.

"That's insane," said Novail.

"Impressive," said Arvin.

"Her style is quite efficient, balanced in strength and finesse," Jura nodded.

Neria just smiled broadly. "Tamlen and Orghran would freak out if they saw this," she said.

Orga didn't look entirely impressed. "Are you kidding?" he scoffed. "You're really impressed with this chick? She looks like she's gonna keel over."

He wasn't far wrong, Astrid did look completely worn out.

"The fighters seem to take in its toll on Astrid," said Agnar.

Astrid looked up and knew there was no time for the next, because heading towards it was an entire onslaught of monsters. Astrid then switched her greatsword out with her _Scauldron_ battleaxe and _Skrill_ spear and charged at the monsters.

"You can do this Astrid! Remember we all believe in you!" Hiccup yelled.

"Is she going to pull this off?" Ragnar asked looking troubled.

"She's exhausted and the hard part is still to come," said Ruby as Astrid continued to battle the monsters.

Astrid was then struck by a tail for me B Class beast, but all that it was slow her down. She flew across the walls of the room she was battling in an unleashed lightning down upon the monsters that in her way.

Outside everyone could see massive explosions appearing in all directions in the fortress indicating that Astrid was fighting hard. Astrid had taken down quite a few of the monsters and was worn out from the onslaught, but her work was far from over.

"Amazing! Despite her injuries Astrid continues to beat foe after foe!" Agnar yelled with excitement. "But how will she fare with her next enemy an A Class monster."

Towering over her was a 50 foot ogre like creature which then swung his fist down upon Astrid.

"Wow, that blow had a lot of weight behind it," said Kelail.

"Yeah," Babs nodded. "I think that might have done her in."

Camicazi shook her head. "No, she used her opponents own power against it. Very clever."

Camicazi's words spoke true as the A Class monsters are disintegrated and their standing in a crater was Astrid in her _Boneknapper Armour_ holding one half of the shield in her left hand and in her other she held her _Gronckle_ spear.

"Whoa," Kelail and Babs gasped.

Alron just smiled finding the entire match exciting as did the crowd.

A few seconds later the A Class monster was smashed right through the wall and slammed into the opposite tower. Astrid then began running across one of the bridges with a small black creature at her heels. Then blocking her path was some D and B Class monsters.

The B Class monsters unleashed their water attack upon her, but she merely knotted away with the spear and there she stood wearing her _Gronckle Armour_ while still holding his spear and shield. She then tossed her spear with all her might disintegrating the monsters in front of her.

An A Class monster then jumped towards her and slammed one of his large fists onto her, but Astrid had jumped back at it now in her _Night Fury Armour_ and holding the spear of _her Skrill Armour_. She then completely obliterated it with lightning and then flew back to one of the towers as more monsters headed straight towards her.

She then quickly transformed into her Rumblehorn Armour now holding her rapier from her _Speed Stinger Armour_ and her sword from her spear from her _Changewing Armour_ and took them down in an instant.

Everyone just stared in amazement as he took down monster after monster with flawless accuracy and finesse. She had now transformed into her _Skrill Armour_ holding one half of the shield from her _Boneknapper Armour_ and the sword from her _Night Fury Armour_ taking down even more of foes.

The entire _Dragon Tail Guild_ were filled with excitement as Astrid completely overwhelmed the monsters that attacked her. Astrid then slammed her sword at a B Class monster just as the shield shattered.

She then landed on the chains and summoned her spear unleashing lightning in all directions taking them a large amount of monsters in a single attack. Jellal may have been a good fair distance away from the Coliseum, but he could hear the row of the crowd.

"Freyja cannot be stopped folks!" Agnar yelled. "The monsters can't keep up with _Requips_."

Astrid was now wearing her _Gronckle Armour_ and was holding her Rumblehorn greatsword and had taken out a good majority of monsters yet again. She then reverted back to her normal attire panting heavily looking completely exhausted.

Agnar was richly on the edge of his seat as he continued to commentate. "Even the most vicious monsters falls before her she is taking their hits and use a lot of magic power, but she keeps going only four opponents remain."

S X 1

A X 1

B X 2

C X 0

D X 0

"Yeah, but every single one of them is super powerful," said Ruby looking troubled.

Merrill was looking very concerned. "She hasn't beaten the S Class one yet. Do you think she has enough magic power to win?"

"Watch we'll know soon enough," said Hiccup not looking worried in the slightest.

"Don't forget Astrid is S Class in her own right, there's no way she'll let it take her down," said Ragnar confidently.

Astrid was now facing the last of the A Class monsters and then charge straight at it with her Rumblehorn still in our hands. As she raced across towards the monster the small black creature ran across her feet and this time people noticed it.

"Whoa," Heather stared.

"What in the name of Thor was that thing?" Eret frowned.

Their attendance was then diverted to the A Class monster with jump down towards the slamming booklets hands on top of her. However, Astrid managed to transform into her _Boneknapper Armour_ just in the nick of time and blocked the attack with the Thor's hammer Bjorn had given her three months ago.

Then the two remaining B Class monsters jumped out of nowhere to flank her, but Astrid had transformed into her _Armourless Dragon Armour_ and sliced the A Class monster in heart with _Starfang_. The bridge they were standing on then collapsed and the B Class monsters chose that moment to strike. However, Astrid dodged the first one and sliced it with her blade and did the same to the second bringing them both down.

She then landed on the chains just as the B Class monsters vanished and everyone just stared open mouthed in their eyes widened.

S X 1

A X 0

B X 0

C X 0

D X 0

"Amazing," said Agnar breathlessly. "99 down only the S Class monster remains what sort of horror awaits our heroine?"

However, the S Class monster was a creature that no one suspected. It was a small black creature that wandered around the battlefield earlier.

"Wait, what?" Agnar stared.

"Just as I thought, it was you all long," said Astrid.

"Have to admit I wasn't expecting this," said Hiccup rubbing the back of his head.

"Not exactly what you expect for a monster that can go toe to toe with the Viking Lord," said Ragnar.

"For monster is actually pretty cute, don't you think?" Merrill smiled.

Ruby frowned. "I've got a bad feeling about this."

Clearly Astrid felt the same, because he traded _Starfang_ with a pair of twin swords.

"Uh, why did have to bring out a second blade?" Gustav frowned looking confused.

"Because the fight is not over," said Toothless.

"Indeed, looks can be deceiving," Cloudjumper nodded.

"Looks like Astrid knows what she's doing," said Stormfly.

"Agreed, take a look at her body language she's gearing up for the real fight," said Skullcrusher.

"Come at me," said Astrid looking at the S Class beast.

The S Class monster then widened its eye suddenly there was a bright light.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," said Mindor. "The S Class monster was designed to increase its power threefold if it became the last one standing. You may have had a chance before, but now it's game over."

" _Pandemonium_ is now down for one-on-one duel and it looks as if the action has moved to the top of the tower where Astrid completely overwhelmed," said Agnar. "The now humongous S Class monster has had trap underfoot."

Agnar wasn't kidding, because of the top of the tower on the fortress was the S Class monster that had turned into a gigantic beast covered in thick black armour. It was at the moment Astrid to the floor with its gigantic foot.

"I never would have paid for critter for being the awful beast," said Johann.

The S Class monster then kicked Astrid who skidded across the floor try to use our blades to slow down.

"Quite an effective ambush, this tower is truly worthy of the name _Pandemonium_ ," said Alistair.

Everyone was watching through the lacrmia screens and it looked as if Astrid had finally met her match.

"Come on, get up," said Hiccup. "We all believe in you Astrid and that thing has got nothing on you!"

' _Day Three of the Grand Magic Games changed everything. I will never forget it, the miracle we witnessed. Despite her countless injuries the dragon that should have fallen sored. Freyja triumphant her spirit will born anew. Standing strong like the Valkyries themselves, she stood there in the field of battle with sword in hand_ ,' Fishlegs wrote.

The S Class monster then kicked Astrid once again and then moved in order to swipe with its gigantic hands. Fortunately, Astrid was able to counter attack and spun in a fury just as it swiped at her. Hiccup smiled as the S Class monsters hand crumbled into dust as they were sliced to pieces by Astrid.

Astrid herself and jumped up into the air and switch her twin blade with Starfang. Everyone watched as he performed a powerful swipe taking a large chunk of his face. The creature then counter-attacked hitting Astrid with what's left of his arm.

Astrid then jumped through the dust charging at the creature before swinging several swipes that demolished the eye in the centre of the creatures armour. Everyone cheered as the S Class monster crumbled into dust taking everyone's breath away.

The announcers themselves were done struck as Astrid stood there with her sword held high. Even despite the injuries and the fact that her clothing was barely holding together, she had never looked more beautiful in Hiccup's eyes.

"That… was… unbelievable!" Agnar yelled finding his voice at last. "Astrid Hofferson has single-handedly defeated all 100 monsters. _Dragon Tail Team A_ with today's contest in an absolutely undisputed victory! Let it be known that we just witnessed history, the strongest Guild of seven years ago has returned from the grave!"

The fortress of _Pandemonium_ then vanished into thin air and a split second later the entire crowd went mad as Astrid reappeared on the field.

"That rocked!"

"That was amazing!"

"She's _Dragon Tail's_ most powerful female Viking! They call her the Queen of Valkyries!"

"Well, hail to the Queen!"

"The crowd is going bananas after that inspiring performance," said Agnar.

Johann laughed. "I thought the suspense was going to kill me."

"I must say that was breathtaking," said Alistair.

Alron was actually crying. ' _It took me a while, but I can finally see it. The strength behind your recklessness_ ,' he said to himself.

Astrid looked at the rest of the team was rushing towards her.

"Hey, guys," she smiled. "I hope you'll forgive me, dealing with them to a bit longer than I expected."

"Astrid, you utterly annihilated the entire competition," said Hiccup laughing his head off. "I think we can forgive you."

"He's right, that was amazing!" Ragnar yelled.

"It was so beautiful I could cry," said Ruby.

"And so moved I'm still crying," said Merrill.

"Calm down, you realise we haven't won yet," said Astrid.

"True, but I think you deserve something," said Hiccup and then without warning he pulled her into a kiss and she melted into his embraced.

"Did I hear that right?" Mindor blinked. "Did she really just apologised because it took _longer_ than she expected?"

"That girl is in a league of her own," said Agatha as he drank down a bottle of whiskey.

"Yeah, Astrid may be the strongest in Septem," Neria smiled. "She's pumped up to the max."

"Hiccup's girlfriend is magnificent what I wouldn't give to make her mind," said Arvin.

Novail stared at him. "If you think you're crazy enough to make a pass at that beast you go right ahead pretty boy."

Jura nodded. "Indeed."

Orga didn't look entirely impressed. "This is a huge waste of time."

"Astrid! Astrid! Astrid!" the crowd cheered again and again.

"Look out first place, here we come!" Toothless yelled.

"Ya, you go girl!" Ruffnut yelled.

"That's my future daughter-in-law!" Stoick smiled proudly.

"The booing that greeted _Dragon Tail_ on day one seems like a distant memory," said Agnar. "You can really feel the love here in Corcus. Especially after that big kiss one Hiccup Haddock."

"Anyone would go gaga after saying that spectacle," said Johann.

"I wholeheartedly agree, it was incredibly inspiring," Alistair nodded.

Alron just sat there watching. ' _Seven years of doubt and self-loathing and now I can see what a waste that was._ '

Hookfang wasn't particularly pleased with all the cheering that was going on. "What? You think that chick was awesome, Orga would have beaten them all in 10 seconds flat."

"I think you're just being optimistic," said Skull. "I found that game incredibly enjoyable."

"How interesting," said Minerva looking intrigued. "Perhaps these dragons aren't all talk and no action after all. I must say that I'm impressed."

"I've never seen anyone like her," said Babs. "Amazing. I can't believe she took on all of them."

"Well, one thing for sure it's obvious why they call her Freyja," said Kelail.

Camicazi just looked at Astrid. ' _Astrid Hofferson, she's the one that was close to Jellal_.'

"I have to say that Stoick got a beauty of a gem there," said Bertha.

" _Dragon Tail A_ dominates the Pandemonium game and earned a well-deserved 10 points for their team," said Agnar.

The entire crowd cheered.

* * *

King Macario had refrained from moving from his throne to a single second. "That was incredible! An excellent example of skill and finesse, she has earned her title today!"

* * *

Mindor then turned to the rest of the competitors as Hiccup and the others helped Astrid back to the stands with you to get proper medical attention.

"Okay, after some deliberation we decided that the seven remaining teams still need to be ranked so where having another contest," said Mindor. Suddenly a strange looking device appeared behind. "This game might be on little ball inside and then the _Pandemonium_ , but I think it will suffice."

"What is that thing?" Novail asked.

"The Magic Power Finder for M.P.F for short," said Mindor.

"In other words it measures a Viking's magic power?" said Jura.

"Indeed," Mindor nodded. "If you cast a spell on this device it will display your magic power in numerical form. I will use this number to decide the rankings of the remaining teams. Quick and easy."

Arvin was looking deeply troubled by this. "Is this strictly a contest of strength? I wonder if there was some way I can work around it?" He then turns attention to Agatha, who was busy scoffing down some whiskey. "But the real question is are you free later tonight?"

Agatha smiled at him. "Well, I could be. But then I won't have enough room for another barrel."

"You might have a problem," said Arvin.

Novail then pointed to the massive amount of wine barrels on the arena floor. "Might? How is she not dead yet?"

Alvin's team groaned upon seeing this.

"She's drinking on the job," Eret groaned.

"Get our team is in scoring this round," said Alvin.

"Stop drinking! You still have to compete Agatha!" Heather yelled.

Agatha just gave them a blank look which didn't bolster their confidence.

"Let's begin shall we," said Mindor. "Since you all drew straws earlier we will continue in that order."

Neria smiled. "That means it's finally my turn," she said and tossed away her hood. "Here goes!"

With that had now gone she stood there wearing long black-and-purple striped leggings, evening gloves, tight and small black shorts with a belt and boots. She also had no upper attire, leaving her black bikini top uncovered. Also without her cloak you could say the _Valkyrie Sword_ emblem on her back.

"Oh my," said Agnar. "The Cape is often a sexy meter is off the charts."

Suddenly appearing in front of her was a pink magic circle. " _Kitten Blast!_ " she yelled.

Then firing from the magic circle was one of the tubes that spun around in a spiral motion and struck the M.P.F. then appearing above the device were set of numbers that formed the number 365.

"Neria scores 365," said Agnar.

The crowd looked at one another unsure whether that was good or bad.

Agnar could see the problem as well. "That being said since we didn't set a benchmark for comparison I'm not really sure whether that's a good number or not."

Johann nodded in agreement.

Alistair smiled. "Perhaps I can help, we Rune Knights use M. in training fairly often. She actually did very well that score would qualify to the Squad Captain."

"Wow, what an impressive start!"

"I'm pumped up kitty!" Neria yelled enthusiastically.

The rest of her teammates frowned slightly.

"That's great and all, but raw power really isn't Neria strongest feature," said Babs.

"She might be a disadvantage out there," said Kelail.

Unfortunately, Novial, who was next up, only was able to score a total of 124.

"Clocking in at 124 is Novail of _Blazing Puppy_ ," said Agnar. "A bit on the low side wouldn't you say?"

"Guess it's my turn to shine," said Arvin.

Immediately the girls the crowd began to cheer.

"Am I the only one who thinks that Arvin might be out of his league?" Cavin asked.

"I should be the one down there," said Feralan.

"Have faith, man," said Olatrand appearing out of nowhere. "Our friend won't let us down."

"Oh, sir, when did you get here?" Cavin asked.

"It's good to see you back in action, Master," said Feralan.

"Thank you, Ase did her part and now it's my turn," said Olatrand.

Arvin then unleashed his attack on the M.F.D sadly it wasn't exactly awe-inspiring. The M.P.D measured his attack for 95.

"Arvin of _Blue Pegasus_ scores a measly 95 points," said Agnar which led to some disappointment from the girls in the crowd.

Arvin was on the floor crying. "Not even three digits."

"I told you I should've been the one down there," said Feralan.

Cavin merely laughed.

"Such is life, but remember that failure is a great teacher," said Olatrand looking at them. "Learn its lessons and the rewards will be everlasting."

"Right, we look forward to learning, Maestro" the two of them bowing.

Arvin was busy hugging Agatha and crying as she comfort him. "Ah, come on cute stuff don't be like that. I can cheer you up denied it you really want?"

"I don't think I can wait I need comforting now," Arvin tried.

Mindor shook his head. "Next please."

Obra then stepped forward.

"Next up is Obra of _Raven Tail_ ," said Agnar.

Immediately _Dragon Tail_ narrow their eyes at him.

"He's the one," said Skullcrusher.

"The guy that attacked Merrill and Stormfly," Toothless growled.

"The scoundrels," Stormfly glared at him.

"Let's see what he can do," said Cloudjumper.

"Another _Raven_ , huh," said Ruby.

"I wonder what kind of magic he'll use," said Merrill.

Strangely he didn't use any magic and instead the like creature he carried around with struck the M.P.D. Of course he was so small that no one noticed this, but they did say the number that was produced which was just a measly 4.

"Obra clocked in with 4 points?" Agnar frowned.

"Is this some kind of joke?" said Ragnar.

"If it is I'm not laughing," said Hiccup.

"Anyone by that?" Ruby asked.

"No," said Astrid, who had left the infirmary and was now covered in bandages.

"I know you want to watch, but you really should be in bed," Ruby frowned.

Mindor looked up at Obra. "I'm very sorry, but am afraid we can't allow any due overs." Then suddenly Agatha grabbed his referee had placed on her head and stood there quite properly clearly drunk. "Hey, give that back!"

"What an idiot!" Flare yelled. "What were you thinking Obra? Come on, we won't get any points now!"

"Why Flare," said Lexsar harshly. "He can't reveal his magic in front of everyone."

Flare immediately backed down. "Right, sorry."

"Yeah, that one guy you don't want to get worked up, got it," said Derva.

"Ain't that the truth," said Black Snake.

"Okay, Neria of _Valkyrie's Sword_ is currently in the lead with 365 points!" Mindor called.

Neria then immediately shook hands with Mindor frantically. "This is so exciting!" she cried.

"I'm about to change that," said Orga as he stepped forward.

Immediately the crowd went crazy the moment he stepped forward.

"And the crowd goes berserk for Orga, how were one of the _Sabretooth's_ strongest fair," said Agnar.

"With that thing do pieces and show those words who's boss!" Hookfang yelled.

"Give it everything you've got," said Skull.

Orga extended his hand black lightning began to form around them. " _120mm Black Lightning Cannon!_ " he roared.

Suddenly he unleashed a powerful burst of black lightning from his hands with struck the M.P.F with immense force. Arvin and Novial just ahead and the war power he admitted as the number 3825 appeared.

"Whoa, it's almost 4000!" Agnar yelled.

"No way, he's 10 times stronger than me?" Neria stared.

Hiccup whistled. "That guy packs a punch and then some."

"No kidding, is seriously packing some immense firepower," said Ragnar folding his arms.

"Crazy," said Ruby.

Alistair was completely stunned. ' _I have never in my life seen a score that high_.'

"Awesome! That's our Orga what a powerhouse!" Hookfang cheered.

"Don't forget there are two other competitors left," Skull pointed out. "And let's not forget that one of them is a Viking Lord."

Alvin merely smiled.

"Things are really heating up down there," said Agnar. "Can the Viking Lord Jura passed that incredible score or has Orga set the bar?"

"I really hope Jura can be that guy," said Shanyla.

Lyon merely folded his arms confidently. "Sure he can. You should be worried whether we will survive it."

Shanyla then looked at him with a puzzled look.

Jura was now making his way towards the M.P.F. "Do you mind if I give it my all?"

"That is the game, isn't it?" said Mindor.

Jura then came to a stop in places hands together.

"There he goes folks, what does Jura have in store for us?" said Agnar.

Suddenly a powerful aura covered Jura and immediately the ground began to shake.

"An earthquake?" said Agnar.

"He's giving up intense magical pressure," said Alistair.

" _Rumbling Mt. Galdhøpiggen!_ " Jura roared.

Sony I huge burst of magic power erupted from the ground covering the entire M.P.F and shot right into the sky. When the magic power faded the M.P.F produced a number that blew everyone's mind away it was 8544.

"8544 that is absolutely mind blowing!" Agnar yelled.

"Quite the attack," said Ragnar.

"He certainly showing the powers of a Viking Lord," said Hiccup.

Orga just stared at the score. "What the?"

Astrid merely smiled. "And here I thought it would be a little higher."

 _Thor's Hammer_ cheered for Jura and Ursula spun Torn around like a top.

"Viking Lords are so dangerously powerful I thought it might be a bad idea to let him participate," said Lyon with a small smile. "But it looks like he had everything under control from the start."

Shanyla nodded. "Apparently you were worried for nothing, because that was awesome."

"Outstanding!" Agnar yelled. "This is a new M.P.F record, Jura has proven that the title of Viking Lord should never be taken lightly."

"I knew he was strong, but wow," said Stoick. "He may be on the same level as Gildarts."

Hiccup the First nodded. "True, but let's not forget that somebody down there has Gildarts' blood running through their veins."

"The final challenge is _Dragon Tail Team B_ Agatha Berdis," said Agnar.

Agatha just stood there with the empty bottle of whiskey in one hand looking quite dizzy and then performed a small hiccup. "You're so sweet saving the best for last," she said barely able to stand up straight.

"I certainly wouldn't want to follow Jura that is to assure," said Agnar.

"All right, do your best my dear," said Mindor as Agatha made her way towards the M.P.F.

"She's completely plastered," Toothless groaned.

"We'll be lucky if she scores more than Arvin," said Stormfly.

"You never know, if she can beat Neria's then she'll nab third place," said Skullcrusher.

"Fourth place," Cloudjumper reminded. "Remember Astrid has already nabbed first place."

Agatha then began to remove her jacket. "Why is she stripping?" Skullcrusher frowned.

Once the jacket was removed they saw something on her arm that made everyone's eyes widened. It was the emblem she wore when to use the _Dragon Sword_ spell on Cove Island

"Now the grand finale," said Agatha.

"What?" Toothless stared.

"I know that emblem," said Stormfly.

"Uh, First Master," said Stoick turning his eyes onto Hiccup the First.

"I taught her how to use that magic," said Hiccup the First.

Agatha then raised her arms up into the air as a golden light covered her. "It's time to summon the golden flames of the dragons!" Agatha yelled.

Hiccup the First smiled. "I would have thought of that spelling I knew she wouldn't be able to handle it. After all wielding that spell is not easy, it takes incredible concentration and power. Agatha possesses both and I know she won't fail us."

"Shine your light so that I can vanquish the fangs of wickedness!" Agatha yelled.

Then suddenly appearing above the combined light of the sun, moon and stars formed a giant sword of golden flames. Then with all her might Agatha slammed the sword right on top of the M.P.F.

" _Dragon's Sword!_ " she yelled.

Everyone stared at the power she admitted and Excellinor just watched from the stands. ' _So Agatha has the power to wield one of the three Grand Dragon Spells_ ,' she said to herself.

When the smoke banished the M.P.F had been completely destroyed and the number 9999 was shown.

"My Thor's hammer, I can't believe it ladies and gentlemen!" Agnar yelled. "The M.P.F is history her power is off the charts! This guild is beyond incredible Dragon tail had taken today's events by storm! Is this their true strength can anyone stop them now?"

Sting was completely bewildered by the power output admitted in the entire _Dragon Tail_ Guild cheered as both a team to take on both second and first place in the first Game or Games as the case may be.

Agatha then turn towards the crowd. "There's no stopping us! We've just started rocking your world, _Dragon Tail_ is going to become number one again!"

The entire crowd cheered like they had never cheered before.

* * *

Up in the stands Derva gave Lexsar a piece of paper. "Here's the battle line up, boss. I've got a feeling you will find it very interesting," he said.

"Yes," said Lexsar as they left the stands. "This one in particular, it would seem as if there are true connoisseurs among the event management. It's about time we got started."


	43. Alvin vs Lexsar

"We're half way through Day Three of the Grand Magic Games so let's look at the team's current standings," said Agnar as the scoreboard appeared in front of everyone which had quite a few changes.

1st Raven Tail: 36p

2nd Thor's Hammer: 26P

2nd Sabretooth: 24P

4th Valkyrie's Sword: 22p

4th Dragon Tail A: 22P

6th Dragon Tail B: 20P

7th Blue Pegasus: 18P

8th Blazing Puppy: 14p

"In first place is the _Raven Tail_ Guild," said Agnar in the crowd began to cheer.

"At long last, the time has come," said Lexsar he then looked at his other teammates. "Let's go, we've got work to do."

All of his teammates smiled viciously.

"Holding on to 2nd place is _Thor's Hammer_ ," Agnar continued causing the crowd to cheer once again. "Dropping down to 3rd place is the _Sabretooth_ Guild. "In fourth place is the ladies of _Valkyrie's Sword_. Next we have the group that jumped up two spots a time with 4th place let's hear it for _Dragon Tail Team A_."

The crowd cheered like mad upon hearing this and Hiccup's team felt very pleased about it.

"Finally some progress," said Hiccup.

"And we're going to keep climbing the ranks just you watch," Ruby smiled.

"Yeah!" Toothless cheered.

"In 6th place and is _Dragon Tail Team B_ ," Agnar continued.

Naturally this some more cheers from the crowd.

"We can't let our guild mates how to do us guys," said Eret.

"Dropping down by two spots it's is _Blue Pegasus_ in 7th place," said Agnar.

They only earned a few claps from the crowd.

"Wow, what a bummer," said Arvin.

"What an insulting parfum," Olatrand groaned.

"And in dead last is _Blazing Puppy_ ," said Agnar.

"Does he really have to announce our name like that?" Thuggory groaned.

* * *

"Now let's do away with the pleasantries and shakeup that scoreboard with some one-on-one battles!" said Agnar.

The crowd then cheered with excitement.

"Looking forward to it," said Johann. "It should be exciting."

"Indeed," Alistair nodded.

"First up, the kitchen with major claws _Valkyrie Sword's_ , Neira!" Agnar announced.

Neira then stepped onto the field.

"Against _Blazing Puppy's_ powering giant Magnus!"

Magnus was the guy in armour from _Blazing Puppy_ and with a guild solo in the standings they needed this win.

"Magnus we need a win on this one!" Thuggory called.

"Let's get this match started!" Agnar yelled.

The horn then blew signalling the start of the match.

Neria then removed her cloak and Magnus made the first move as he lowered his visor.

"First strike, first victory! _Wild Spin!_ " said Magnus yelled as he began to spin like a top.

He then zoomed towards Neria, who barely had time to dodge. He then made a U-turn and headed straight back towards and he dodged again.

"Look at that spin, I never take him to be the fast and furious type," said Agnar.

"Guss I'll just have to tire you up," said Neria as he extended her hand and created a Magic Circle. " _Bad Kitty Restraint Two!_ "

She then fired one of her two straight at Magnus, but it merely bounced off him since he was spinning so fast. He then slammed into her knocking her into the air scoring the first hit of the day.

"It just bounced off!" she said.

"Neria no!" the girls from _Valkyrie's Sword_ yelled, minus Camicazi, who just stood there in silence.

"That's it!" Warcry yelled, his face was completely bandaged from his fight on the first day.

"That's what you get for messing with the big boys!" Thuggory yelled.

Mogadon smiled from the stands. "There's no way you can beat us kitty."

Neria got back onto her feet and saw that Magnus had stopped spinning. "I'm just getting started."

Magnus then spun like a top again and headed straight towards her.

"Eat this! _Kitten Blast!_ " Neria firing her to a spiral fashion.

However, the attack nearly sped up Magnus's spin. "All your attack did was make me spin even faster. Take that!" said Magnus.

Magnus slammed into Neria once again.

"All right, give her a good thrashing!" Warcry yelled.

"We're going to win this round!" Thuggroy yelled.

"Oh whoa," said Toothless. "Do you think Neria can beat him?"

"She's not giving up, but she is taking some major damage," said Hiccup folding his arms.

"I'm worried," said Ruby looking at Astrid.

"She's going to be fine," Astrid assured. "It won't be that easy to defeat a warrior like Neria."

"Come on, fight!" Kelail yelled.

"Stay strong, okay!" Babs yelled.

Camicazi had her eyes shut. "There is someone out there that Neria needs to defeat," she said as she opened her eyes. "And until she does that she will not lose."

"I be a bad kitty if I lost all weakling like you," said Neria as he got to her feet. "And it would mean that I joined _Valkyrie's Sword_ for nothing!"

"It's time to finish you off!" Magnus roared as he spun once again, but this time twice as fast. " _Wild Spin Double Speed!_ "

"He kicked into high gear, but will it be enough to finish the match?" said Agnar.

"I'll put you down! _Bad Kitty Restraint Two!_ " Neria yelled as he fired one of her to directly at Magnus.

This time instead of hitting him directly she wrapped the tube around him.

"I'll rip that thing to shreds!" Magnus yelled.

Neira did her best to hold her ground as Magnus spun around. "Well, good luck because I'm not letting go!"

Magnus suddenly changed direction in order to throw Neria off, but she held her ground and then Magnus slammed right into her. This caused a massive amount of dust to be flown into the air hiding both competitors from view.

When the smoke cleared Magnus was face down on the ground with Neria standing on top of him with her too was around his arms and legs holding him in place.

"You win," Magnus groaned.

"Meow," said Neria as the crowd went mad.

Thuggory and the rest of his team groaned.

"Not again," Thuggory groaned.

Neria smiled. "I'm feeling pretty pumped up."

"Neria's is turning the arena into her own personal cat box and she's got something big to bury," said Agnar as the horn blew signalling the end of the match.

The crowd cheered loudly and Neria jumped off Magnus and waved at them.

"That was one of the best battles I've seen in a while," said Johann.

"There are so many varieties of magic that have been used in the Games so far it's quite fascinating," Alistair nodded.

"She's come a long way," said Astrid with a smile on her face. "I'm proud of her."

"Her score on the Magic Power Finder was enough to convince me that she strong, but she is downright scary with those tubes," said Ruby.

"Yeah, no kidding real scary," Merrill agreed.

"She certainly improved immeasurably since last time I faced her," said Hiccup folding his arms.

Astrid however was more concerned about her hatred for Jellal.

* * *

"Okay, moving on to the second match of the battle segment let's hear it to the minstrel that sings to the red moon, _Sabretooth's_ Ilos Songbird!" said Agnar

The entire crowd cheered as Ilos made his way onto the arena.

"He'll be facing against _Blue Pegasus'_ holy knight, Cavin Stormwind!" said Agnar.

The crowd cheered loudly once again as Cavin emerged onto the arena.

"Go, Cavin! May you have the parfum of victory!" Olatrand yelled.

"You can beat this clown!" Feralan yelled.

"You've got this man, yeah," Arvin cheered.

"Ilos spanked the little guy on Day One, but will he get his comeuppance today?" siad Agnar.

The horn then blew signalling the start of the match.

" _Snow Magic! Blew White Fury!_ " Cavin yelled sending a powerful snowstorm straight towards Ilos.

However the attack nearly struck went straight through him.

"What you struggled merely a memory of me," said Ilos' voice.

Cavin turned and saw that Ilos was directly beside him. "I got a taste of your techniques during the _Hidden_ game," he said and then ran towards him. "And I've got them all memorised now!"

"Oh really? Is that so well," said Ilos.

Then suddenly he disappeared and placed himself with the most disturbing thing imaginable. Appearing right in the arena was Olatrand naked in a bath holding a glass of wine.

"Man," said Olatrand.

"Master Olatrand? What the heck are you doing here?" said Cavin stopping in his tracks.

Ilos then appeared directly behind him. "Seems you have been fooled by your own memory," he said and then struck Cavin in the back with his hand.

He was hit so hard that he fell to the ground, but people are more disturbed about Olatrand in the bath than anything else. There was even more disturbed with the members of _Blue Pegasus_ and Olatrand more than anyone else.

"Don't tell me that this is somewhere deep in memory?" Feraland stared.

Arvin then turned to Olatrand. "Yeah, no kidding. You got some explaining to do, sir!"

"Please, believe me when I say that I have absolutely no memory of this scandalous parfuma!" Olatrand yelled.

Then suddenly the sky went dark and light were merging from Ilos as he placed his finger on his temple.

" _Night Shooting Stars!_ " he yelled unleashing the same attack that he used on day one.

The attack struck Cavin with a powerful force of lightning.

"Oh, Cavin's taken a direct hit from Ilos!" Agnar yelled.

However, Cavin then disintegrated as it was soon revealed that he was nothing more than a pile of snow made to look like him. The real Cavin was standing directly behind Ilos with a confident smile on his face.

"Well, I'll be turns out it was just a copy made of snow," said Agnar.

"Now that is an impressive parfuma," said Olatrand.

"All right, score!" Feralan yelled.

"Show them how we do it!" Arvin cheered.

Johann then turn towards Alistair. "If I'm not mistaken Cavin used to work the Council didn't he?"

Alistair nodded. "That's right, it was many years ago but he started as a Rune Knight much like myself. Even back then it was obvious that he possessed incredible talent, but it appears that his magic skills have grown since joining the _Blue Pegasus_ Guild."

" _White Blizzard!_ " Cavin yelled unleashed a powerful blizzard across the arena.

"You know that pointless," said Ilos just standing there with his hands behind his back.

"Yeah, right," Cavin smirked. "That would you think. My _White Blizzard_ may not look like much, but it's going to help me with by finding the real you." He then quickly turned around and extended his hand. "Right there! Go get him, _White Fang!_ "

Then a powerful gust of snow headed straight towards where his hand was extended and struck the ground. A brief second later Ilos jumped into the air to avoid the attack revealing himself and then landed on the ground.

"I've already memorised that spell," he said as he placed his fingers on his temple. "I will counter it with _Memory-Make_."

Ragnar looked up. "That's it," he said.

" _Maker Magic_ , but I've never heard of it before," said Lyon.

Watching from Ultear's crystal ball were Ultear and Orara and they themselves are quite stunned.

"He's able to use magic that can take form from memories," said Ultear stunned. "Impossible."

Hiccup the First recognised the magic. "Long forgotten magic," he said grimly. "It is an ancient spell."

"I'm not quite sure what you mean First Master," said Stoick looking at him. "Are you trying to say that there's more to it than meets the eye."

Suddenly there was a bright light of orange covering the arena as was the sky.

"Odin's bread, what is happening down there?" Agnar asked.

"It looks like this is heating up," said Johann.

"I am setting an incredible surge in magic power," said Alistair.

Then suddenly the arena rock pillars are merged from the ground surrounding Cavin.

" _Karma of the Burning Land!_ " Ilos yelled slamming his hand right hand to the ground while still touching his temple with the other.

Suddenly a powerful gust of flames emerge from the ground and then knocked Cavin into the air. Then the sky returned back to normal and Cavin fell to the ground hard, his close were badly torn apart and he looked as if he had some serious burns as well.

The horn then blew signalling the end of the match.

"And that's the match folks," said Agnar.

The entire crowd then cheered loudly and Ilos merely smiled as he did even have a single scratch on him. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Cavin, who was finding it very hard to move.

"And this holy night is over," said Agnar "Cavin is going to feel that in the morning. That nets another win for _Sabretooth's_ Ilos, the man is on fire."

 _Sabretooth_ merely smiled as Hookfang and Skull high-fived each other.

Ragnar on the other hand clenched his fist. ' _So he uses Maker Magic to. I guess that means it's up to me to defeat him._ '

"Can't believe that little punk lost the match, damn," said Feralan. "But it's okay, because he put up a good fight."

"Hey, Meister, our team's rank has fallen significantly. What will we do?" Arvin asked.

"Rest easy my lads," said Olatrand as he performed a few hand gestures. "There is an aromas parfum of a fragrant flower."

The guy in the rabbit suit performed the same hand gestures as Olatrand.

"We have a secret weapon that is certain to lead us to victory," said Olatrand.

Arvin and Feralan just looked at the guy in the rabbit suit suspiciously, because they had no idea who was inside it.

"Yes, we have a secret weapon," Olatrand nodded.

The guy in the rabbit suit nodded.

"It's so important that I have mentioned it to you two twice," he said.

"Very informative, sir," the two of them said in unison as they bowed.

The guy in the rabbit suit nodded again.

"I'm happy for the help, but I really wish I knew who was inside the bunny suit," Arvin frowned. "It's kind of weird that he's refusing to tell us."

"Hold up, you think it's someone who is not in our Guild?" Feralan asked. He then shrugged. "I suppose sometimes you just have to bend the rules to get what you want."

* * *

"And now it's time for the third match of the day," said Mindor.

"Bringing the lightning is _Dragon Tail B's_ Alvin Treach!" said Agnar. The entire crowd cheered upon hearing that name. "Going up against the mysterious woman in the metal mask _Raven Tail's_ Lexsar!"

"Take him down!" Hiccup yelled.

"Of course, it's someone from _Excellinor's_ Guild," Astrid frowned.

"Stand strong Alvin, you have this," said Valka.

"I've got no doubt that we're going to win this one," said Eret.

Agatha looked at Heather. "It is Alvin after all."

"Yes, but still I've got a really bad feeling about this," Heather frowned.

Both Alvin and Lexsar just stood there staring at one another and it was hard to tell what evil one of them was thinking.

"Last time we saw these two guilds go head-to-head the outcome was pretty brutal for _Dragon Tail_ ," Agnar recalled.

Johann nodded and then leaning towards Alistair. "Excuse me, Alistair. Did you happen to bring any of your men here with you?"

Alistair looked at him with surprise. "Yes, sir. A few as per regulations."

"I want you to keep a close eye on _Raven Tail_ okay," said Johann. "If you see anything suspicious let me know and I'll have them stop the match."

"Right," Alistair nodded.

* * *

In the stands, Stoick wasn't going to take anything to chance, not after what happened on Day One.

"Speedfist," he said without looking at him.

"I'm on it, sir," said Speedfist placing his fingers on his temple. ' _This is HQ do you read me Ruff, Tuff?_ '

Ruffnut and Tuffnut were in the stands keeping a close eye upon Excellinor.

"Yeah, but what's with all the lame HQ staff?" Tuffnut asked.

"We've have got no activity from Excellinor over," said Ruffnut.

"Roger that," said Speedfist. "Now let's hear from Team _Thunder Legion_ and Adelaide. You see anything?"

Adelaide was holding a pair of binoculars next to the _Thunder Legion_ as they were keeping their eyes upon the _Raven Tail_ Guild.

"Team _Thunder Legion_ and Adelaide reporting," said Adelaide. "We haven't spotted any unusual activity from _Raven Tail_. They might have been able to trick us on Day One, but not this time."

"Let it be known that if you dare to dishonour Alvin, the _Thunder Legion_ will pounce," said Fenris with a burning hatred in his eyes. "You scandals will be lucky if you make it out alive."

"Hey, Master, Rubbella has been whining about wanting to be by Snotlout side," Dogsbreath teased. "So will you give her permission over?"

Rubbella quickly turned on him. "I have not you liar!"

"Excellinor, me and my charges won't put up with any more of your trickery," said Stoick.

Hiccup the First chuckled slightly.

"What's so funny First Master tell me?" Stoick blinked.

"Oh, nothing," he said. "I'm just happy that the guild is ready to do whatever it takes to keep their friends safe. It's nice even though they are focused on the task they are still managed to have a little fun." He then looked at Stoick. "It is a wonderful sight to be seen. This is precisely the Guild that I wanted to create. Just promise me that it will stay like this, don't forget that this is how the Guild was meant to be."

"Thank you, and I am sure that it will," Stoick nodded.

* * *

"Competitors, step forward," said Agnar. Both Alvin and Lexsar took several steps forward. "Let the battle begin!"

The horn blew signalling the start of the match.

"A mysterious member of my mother's Guild," said Alvin narrowing his eyes. "Nice mask want to tell me who you really are?"

Lexsar then quickly struck Alvin faster than anyone could blink and knocked them backwards much to the surprise of everyone in the Guild. Alvin managed to hold his ground, but lost his coat in the process.

"Who is she?" he said as Lexsar came charging towards him yet again.

Lexsar then kicked him right across the face and then fired up blast of dark magic straight at him.

"Oh no," Valka gasped.

"You've got to be kidding me," Eret stared.

"I can't believe he's losing," said Agatha stunned.

They watched as Lexsar struck Alvin with a powerful punch and then slammed him with a double kick.

"She makes beating Alvin look easy," Ruby stared.

"Yeah, that Lexsar is scary," said Merrill fearfully.

"That mask freak who in the hell is she?" said Ragnar dumbfounded.

"I can't believe that this is happening," said Hiccup shaking his head in disbelief. "He's losing?"

Lexsar then dealt Alvin an uppercut to the jaw.

"Incredible!" Agnar yelled. "Lexsar attacks with the uppercut to the jaw. She's leaving Alvin completely powerless."

Johann and Alistair looked deeply troubled by this predicament.

Alvin then fell to the ground.

However, in reality he was nothing more than an illusion as the real Alvin was still standing there in the centre the battlefield with his arms folded as was Lexsar. The entire battle was assimilation to the crowd and they were completely unaware that the two competitors had yet flung a single punch.

Alvin watched as his double gang picked himself up and face the duplicate Lexsar. He then turned his attention to the real Lexsar.

"Mind explaining what's going on here?" he asked.

"A type of _Illusion Magic_ ," said Lexsar as her counterparts started striking Alvin again and again. "It's the only way we can have a private conversation. Those around us cannot see or hear us even though was standing right in front of them. They are watching an illusion of the two of us fighting, incredibly convincing isn't it? Not a single person has noticed they are too busy watching you struggle to stand your ground in a losing fight."

Stoick looked deeply troubled. "I never thought Alvin will be at such a disadvantage."

"Well, Ruff, Tuff?" Speedfist asked.

"There's been no movement from Excellinor," said Ruffnut.

"Yeah, she's just standing there watching Alvin getting beaten up and smiling," said Tuffnut.

"Adelaide, you guys say anything?" Speedfist asked.

Adelaide was looking at the _Raven Tail_ Guild close through the binoculars. "Nothing new to report. They're just standing there."

"Come on, fight back," said Fenris feeling completely useless. "I know you still got some fight left in you."

"Yeah, listen to him!" Dogsbreath yelled.

The illusion of Lexsar then dealt the illusion of Alvin a powerful slash of dark magic.

"Don't give up! You can still take Alvin!" Rubbella yelled.

The real Lexsar merely pointed a finger at the real Alvin. "It must be nice to know that your guild mates hold you in such high regard. I'm sure they're absolutely heartbroken watching you fold your enemy like this."

The illusion of Lexsar then dealt the illusion of Alvin's powerful blow knocking him to the ground.

"Throw out so lightening!" Hiccup yelled.

"I don't get it," said Alvin closing his eyes. "This plan of yours doesn't make any sense at all."

"No?" said Lexsar inquisitively.

"What's the point in beating me with an illusion? I mean can you call that a win?"

"Obviously victory in this match is not our ultimate goal. The purpose of the illusion is to distract those around us." Alvin then looked up straight as the illusion of Lexsar grabbed the illusion of Alvin by the throat. "And if I control the illusion I control the outcome of the match as well."

"Control it?" Alvin frowned his curiosity peaked. "How so?"

"Alvin!" Hiccup's team yelled.

"Show her what you can do!" Hiccup yelled.

"Stay strong!" Ruby cried.

They then watched the illusion of Alvin breaking free of the illusion of Lexsar's hold and striking her with the back and his fist sending her crashing towards the wall. Lightning then coursed through his body it was very clear that Lexsar didn't want to look too obvious as cheating.

"Whoa!" Agnar cried. "It looks as though Alvin is back in the games ladies and gentlemen!"

The illusion of Lexsar picked herself up and then the illusion of Alvin's last straight towards her and then began to pummel her with fists of lightning. Naturally this caused the _Dragon Tail_ Guild to cheer with this change of events.

"That's the spirit, Alvin!" Stoick yelled.

"Yes!" Fenris cried as the illusion of Alvin's struck the illusion of Lexsar with a powerful fist of lightning. "There you go!"

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Dogsbreath smiled.

The illusion of Alvin then struck the illusion of Lexsar yet again with lightning fists.

"He's finally back in action," said Eret.

"Seems that way," said Heather looking slightly relieved.

The illusion of Alvin then unleashed his dragon breath attack straight at the illusion of Lexsar. This caused us to be flung into the air hiding her from view and the _Dragon Tail_ Guild cheered thinking of the match was over now.

"That ought a do it," said Stoick. "After all that and we had no reason to worry, right?"

"Yep," Speedfist nodded. He then placed his finger on his temple. " _Thanks for the help, guys_."

"No sweat," said Ruffnut.

"I just we had blown something up," Tuffnut sighed with disappointment.

"Maybe next time, bro," said Ruffnut.

" _Adelaide, you Thunder Legion rocked too_ ," said Speedfist.

"Glad they then try anything," Adelaide smiled.

"The thing that I was worried about Alvin losing for a second there," Fenris laughed. "Silly me."

However when the dust settled the illusion of Lexsar was still standing much to the bewilderment of everyone. Then before anyone could react Lexsar the unleashed a powerful beam of dark magic straight at Alvin knocking him backwards into the wall.

"What the?" Stoick stared.

"No, Alvin!" Toothless cried.

The illusion of Alvin was now on the ground as the illusion of Lexsar made her way towards him.

"And just like that the tables have turned once again!" Agnar yelled over the mic. "Alvin had better step it up or else hell be dead meat!"

"This is not good," said Hiccup looking deeply troubled.

"What in the hell is going on here?" said Ragnar bewilderment.

The illusion of Lexsar then picked the illusion of Alvin up by the helm of his shirt and lifted him off his feet. She then dealt a powerful punch of darkness straight at his face sending him flying once again.

The real Alvin then looked at the real Lexsar. "So that's your idea of controlling the match? You think I care?"

"The point is I can arrange for you to win this match depending on how our negotiations fair," said Lexsar extending her hand.

Alvin just merely removed his coat. "Ain't no way I'm falling for that," he said as electricity flow through his body. "I don't really give a damn about your stupid illusion. But I can't wait to get my hands on the real you so I can defeat you here and now."

"That's not going to happen," said a female voice.

Suddenly there was a vortex of sand and then appearing right behind Lexsar was the entire _Raven Tail Team_.

"Reality can pretty hard sometimes," said Derva.

"Your power is impressive," Lexsar admitted. "You not even the strongest of Vikings can defeat all _Raven Tail's_ elite at once."

Alvin merely looked at them in silence.

"There's one more thing you need to consider," said Lexsar as she began to remove her helmet. Alvin was soon face-to-face were none other than Excellinor. "I'm sure that you're aware of just how powerful I am aren't you, my boy?"

Alvin didn't look terribly surprised. "I had a feeling that you were behind that mask, my witch of a mother.

"Stoick and his son would rather die than reveal the secret, same for my grandson," said Excellinor.

Stoick felt completely useless from the stands as there was no reported movement from either the illusions of Excellinor and the _Raven Tail_ Guild. They remain completely unaware they had been tricked yet again and that Alvin was actually facing them as they stood there.

"On the other hand you are a different story," said Excellinor smiling at her son. "Surely I can depend upon my son. Now tell me where I can find the _Lumen Histoire_."

"Sorry, never heard of it," said Alvin.

"Don't try and play done with me," said Excellinor narrowing her eyes.

"I'm not."

"If Stoick was to tell anyone it would be his best friend and his son."

"Guess not, because I don't know what you're talking about and I have a feeling the same said for Hiccup."

"He must have told you something about it."

"Nope, but even if Stoick had it's not like that I would ever tell you."

"Calm now, I'm offering you the opportunity to emerge victorious from what is otherwise an utterly hopeless situation. If you dare to refuse my terms you losing will be the least of your worries."

Alvin merely scoffed as electricity flow through his body. "You think you can scare me? You better think again Hag. It's no wonder that Stoick wouldn't allow you to return." He then extended his hand forward and taunted them. "Come at me, all of you. You're an enemy of _Dragon Tail's_ Master and that makes you my enemy too."

A dark aura was covering Excellinor. "I think it's about time for your mother to teach you an important lesson. The Guild standing before you was created for one reason, to take down _Dragon Tail's_ once and for all."

The other members of _Raven Tail_ merely smiled fiendishly at Alvin, but none of their laughter had shaken Alvin as he stood there defiant against his mother and her Guild.


	44. Merrill vs Shanyla

Hiccup and his team were still watching Alvin and Lexsar battling it out unaware that the entire battle was no illusion and that Lexsar was in fact Excellinor.

"He's getting destroyed," said Ragnar.

"I know, it's hard to believe," said Ruby unable to comprehend what they were watching.

"Something about this feels off," said Astrid rubbing her chin.

Hiccup nodded. "Yeah, but I can't put my finger on it."

"I think Lexsar is the reason," said Merrill. "I don't know why but I can't sense anything from him."

The illusion of Excellinor was now looking down at the illusion of Alvin, who was panting heavily.

"He's down, but not out," said Agnar. "Alvin has barely scratched his opponent, this match could spell trouble for _Dragon Tail Team B_ by putting one of their strongest out of commission."

"I can't say that I'm surprised," said Johann. "Lexsar's strength is overwhelming."

"Yes, I hardly sense any magic power coming from him at all," said Alistair looking deeply troubled. "Could this mean that he is holding back?"

Dragon tail were still keeping an eye upon the illusions of _Raven Tail_ and Excellinor completely unaware that they were actually in the arena facing Alvin.

"This is the great Alvin, I expected a lot more out of him after the way everyone talked him up," said Skullcrusher.

"I have to say that he is not meeting my expectations," Cloudjumper nodded. "What's the deal?"

"Maybe he's feeling conflicted about fighting Lexsar?" Stormfly suggested. "I mean she is a member of his mother's Guild."

"This isn't like Alvin at all," said Toothless shaking his head in disbelief. "He's nearly as strong as Gildarts it just doesn't make any sense."

Alvin watched as his double gang landed on the ground after a powerful attack from the illusion of his mother. However Alvin was more concentrated upon looking down at his mother and her Guild.

"So you created _Raven Tail_ just to take us down, huh?" Alvin said looking at his mother.

"Isn't she brilliant," said Flare.

"I've hand-picked every member of our deal because they each specialise in the form of magic that _Dragon Tail_ is woefully ill-equipped to deal with," Excellinor explained.

"And aside from our Master, where the foremost elite," Black Snake hissed.

"Taking us all on would be next to suicide, boy," said Excellinor narrowing her eyes.

"Oh yeah?" said Alvin sceptically.

"We have spent years learning the best way to bring you down to your knees, but words aren't enough by all means test our power and see what happens," said Excellinor fiendishly.

"Stoick's been doing his homework too you know," said Alvin with a small smile.

The smile from Excellinor then faulted.

Stoick was with the other members of Dragon tail looking down from the stands. ' _I know you're up to something here_ _Excellinor_.'

They continue to watch as the illusion of Excellinor slammed the fist of darkness straight at the illusion of Alvin.

However in the arena Excellinor and her Guild stared at Alvin upon realising this revelation that Stoick was onto them all this time.

"He's spying on us," Excellinor stared.

"You got it, Mum," Alvin smirked. "Everything from _Raven Tail's_ ranks and locations to its operations and activities over the past seven years. He knows it all."

"What?" Excellinor stared.

"It must have been Eret, I knew he would betray us, Master," said Flare.

Devra didn't look entirely surprised. "Yeah, I always had a feeling that despicable Iron Chomping Creep can be trusted."

"Just think it was a double agent the whole time!" said Excellinor through gritted teeth.

"He never really struck me as being that clever, but it appears that I misjudged him," Black Snake cursed.

* * *

Hiccup the First looked at Stoick. "Excellinor created a specialised _Anti-Dragon Tail_ Guild?"

"I heard information on many of the Vikings in his despicable Guild, before he even laid out his plans," said Stoick folding his arms. "But try as I might at hand full of them managed to escape scrutiny. That Lexsar woman in particular, I didn't know that she existed before this tournament."

* * *

"Does this seem strange to anyone else?" Flare asked looking at the others in confusion.

"If Stoick knew our secret why did he act on it when he had the chance?" Derva.

"Because the stubborn old fool has a real knack for holding back when he shouldn't," said Alvin plainly.

Excellinor stared at him.

* * *

A few days after they returned from Cove Island, Stoick had Eret relaying the information they might have missed up on _Raven Tail_ during their seven years nap. He also decided to bring Alvin in on this information.

"Give me a break, you're really just going to ignore her?" said Alvin shaking his head. "Let's not forget that my mother claimed to have dirt on _Dragon Tail_. She holds grudges longer than I do."

"I know that," said Stoick as he looked down at the city. "But it has been seven years since she made that claim."

"Yeah, so what?" said Alvin.

"I've got no reason to believe that information has been leaked when we was sealed away on Cove Island."

Alvin looked at him. "You don't know that the shore though, do you?"

"Actually, I'm quite sure. Excellinor is fully aware that sharing what she knows with someone would be more dangerous than keeping it to herself."

Alvin looked at him curiously. "About that? What does she know anyway?"

"Nothing you need to worry about, every Guild has a few skeletons that should remain in the closet," said Stoick. "I've been told that she left our members alone in peace while we were gone she never harmed them or try to make trouble and as long as things remain quiet I don't intend to make trouble for her either."

* * *

Back in the present Alvin just finished explaining why Stoick hand attacked much to Excellinor frustration.

"Hurts, huh?" said Alvin. "After everything you've done Stoick still managed to contain some respect to you, because you're my mother."

Excellinor clenched her teeth so hard that she managed to chip them. "Silence!" she roared. She then unleashed a wave of paper dolls that struck Alvin with an immense force. "Every waking moment that I lived in the shadows was to prepare for this day! Also that I could finally have the _Lumen Histoire_ within my grasp!"

The paper dolls were flying around Alvin trapping him in place and smart of electricity shot every time they struck his skin.

"Did he think that I was being passive out of the goodness of my heart? Of course, I wasn't!" _Lumen Histoire_ yelled. "Because I knew that your Guild's prophetic leftovers with know nothing about what I wanted! The Guildhall, Berk, even Cove Island itself. I checked every nook finally reunited to _Dragon Tail_ , but I still never found it! Tell me where the _Lumen Histoire_ is Alvin! Start hiding it!"

Suddenly the paper dolls then started to fly up into the air and formed a large ball and then a dark emblem appeared on it.

"You're my son, aren't you? Where is your loyalty to your family?" Excellinor roared as the paper ball above turned dark.

Alvin then remembered what Stoick had said the day after he became Guild Master when he pleaded him to bring his mother back into the Guild. Then he remembered what Hiccup had said during his battle with him before he was kicked out of the Guild.

Excellinor then unleashed the ball of dark magic right on top of Alvin, but when the smoke cleared the just stood there unscathed.

"Ah, I was wondering why you stood them and took it?" said Excellinor not looking totally surprised. "You are testing the limits of my magic power, weren't you? It's good to know that some things never change or is it something else? Can't bring yourself to strike your own mother was a good boy you are my sweet little Alvin."

"Alvin!" Stoick yelled from outside the illusion.

Alvin turned and saw his old friend sticking out his finger into the air. That symbol had always been a sign of encouragement to any member of _Dragon Tail_ past present or future. He also remembered the bond of friendship he made with his old friend during their final day on Cove Island.

A smile then appeared on his face.

"Do it now Orba!" Excellinor commanded. "Drain his magic! It's time to show this ungrateful wretch of the true power of our hatred for _Dragon Tail_!"

Orba then outstretched his arms, but the boy he could do anything Alvin suddenly appeared in front of in a burst of speed and lightning.

"The next time you pick on a little girl you better make sure that I don't hear about it!" he yelled dealing Orba a powerful lightning kept knocking him out cold.

Excellinor stared at him open eyed as Flare and Derva made their move.

" _Red Hair Scorch!_ " Flare yelled.

She then let loose a crimson red hair straightener Alvin, but he moved around like lightning zigzagging his way out of attack. Derva then approached him with his gauntlets sticking spikes out of them.

" _Needle Blast!_ " he yelled swinging his spiky fists Alvin.

Alvin quickly dodged each and every one of the swings. "As for you, this is for my son, Ragnar!" he roared striking the dwarf with a lightning covered fist.

Flare managed to wrap ahead around Alvin's arm. "I've got you now!" she laughed as flames covered her hair in attempt to burn him.

"Ruby sends her regards!" Alvin yelled unleashing his breath attack on her knocking her out cold.

"No way," Excellinor stared.

Black Snake then appeared behind Alvin taking shape in the sand. " _Sand Fake!_ " he hissed.

"Oh, and Hiccup wanted me to deliver you this!" Alvin yelled unleashing a burst of lightning from the ground sending him flying.

Excellinor just stared at him openmouthed. "How? My elite squad has been taken out!"

Alvin then slammed a lightning covered foot onto the ground. "Look you hag!" he yelled as lightning covered his body. "I don't know what your goal is here and frankly I don't care! But there's only one thing you're getting for your troubles pain!"

"No, wait!" Excellinor yelled away slowly as Alvin slowly approached. "I am still your mother! Don't you have any respect? You would harm me? Alvin I am your own flesh and blood!"

" _Dragon Tail_ is my only family now," said Alvin defiantly.

"Then you will sharing their doom you pathetic in great! Be gone!" Excellinor roared unleashing a wave of paper dolls straight at Alvin.

However, Alvin merely uses lightning to disintegrate the paper dolls and charged straight at her. "Anyone who threatens them, gets no mercy from me!" He yelled and then slammed a powerful fist of lightning straight at Excellinor.

The attack was so strong that Excellinor was sent flying out of the illusion and into the wall opposite knocking her out cold. With her no longer able to maintain the illusion it started to fade away and soon everyone saw Alvin standing there in front of Excellinor, posing as a competitor, and the rest of the _Raven Tail_ Guild.

"Whoa, what happened down there?" said Agnar sitting straight up.

"Is it me or am I seeing double?" Hiccup asked.

"No, I say two of my dad down there was well," said Ragnar. "It clearly was some sort of illusion."

"So, it was her," said Hiccup the First noticing Excellinor was down there.

"Excellinor," Stoick snarled.

"All of their members down there!" Toothless yelled.

"But if that's the case? Who are they?" Skullcrusher asked looking towards the _Raven Tail's_ stands.

"Nothing but projections," said Stormfly as projections of the _Raven Tail_ Guild vanished.

"They must have done this before the match even started," Cloudjumper growled.

The illusion of Excellinor soon vanished leaving the twins completely perplexed.

"I'm at a complete loss ladies and gentlemen!" Agnar yelled scratching his head. "This is crazy."

Mindor then instantly recognised Excellinor. "I know that face, she's their Guild Master," he said. He then turned to everyone in the stands. "Ladies and gentlemen, it would seem as if Lexsar was none other than Master Excellinor the whole time!"

Everyone gasped as he stared down at Alvin who was still producing electricity around his body.

"Apparently the battle we've been watching was just an illusion," said Agnar in bewilderment. "But Alvin persevered and defeated the entire _Raven Tail_ Guild. Let's hear it for our victor!"

The horn then blew signalling the end of the match.

Johann had an ugly look on his face. "Not only did their members illegally participated in a one-on-one match, but the Guild Master took part in the Games as well. This is a brazen violation of the tournament rules!"

The crowd just stared down at Alvin.

"He wiped out the entire _Raven Tail_ team by himself?"

"First Astrid, then Agatha and now this guy?"

"There's no messing with _Dragon Tail_ this year they're tailing it."

Alvin's team just smiled upon their victory and the praises from the crowd.

Orga looked intrigued as dark lightning exit from his body.

"The winner of Day Three third match is _Dragon Tail B's_ Alvin Treach!" Mindor announced.

Everyone cheered, but none were more about that than the _Dragon Tail_ Guild.

"I was all set to get revenge, but it looks like my old man took care of that," said Ragnar.

"I think it's fitting that Alvin took it down _Raven Tail_ intervening his mother was the one who created it," said Hiccup.

"I'm glad they were caught, but I hope Flare isn't going to be abused by her Master anymore," said Ruby looking worried.

Astrid merely smiled at her. "You are truly a kind and gentle soul Ruby."

"This is what your dirty tricks brought you," said Stoick narrowing his eyes down upon Excellinor. "Disgrace."

Hiccup the First however had a grim look on his face as something told him dearly.

* * *

Alvin was about to leave the arena when Excellinor stopped him.

"Wait, Alvin," said Excellinor and Alvin stopped in his tracks. "I admit that I lost this round, but there's something you should know." Alvin looked at her and saw that she was still wearing her feeder smile. "The _Lumen Histoire_ is _Dragon Tail's_ darkest secret of all someday you gonna learn that first hand then you know what your family really is."

Alvin watched as the guards took Excellinor and the entire _Raven Tail_ team for questioning. She laughed as he dragged her away and Alvin was troubled by this.

"We have some questions for you," the guard restraining Flare.

Black Snake swatted away the guards tried to grab him. "Don't touch me!" he snapped.

"You're only making it worse," the guard snapped back.

Two guards grabbed Obra and found that he was quite limp.

"Hey, is this guy unconscious?"

"Straighten up dead weight!"

Then unknown to them the imp-like creature that hang around on Obra's shoulder jumped off and scurried away. The truth of the matter he was actually Obra and the dead lug the guard were taking was nothing more than just a puppet that he controlled by magic.

"After some deliberation _Raven Tail_ has been officially disqualified and are hereby banned from the Grand Magic Games for the next three years," Agnar announced to the audience.

"Good riddance," said Johann.

Obra looked down at the arena from one of the statues. "See you again soon _Dragon Tail_ ," he said the squeaky and mischievous voice.

* * *

Once the entire arena was clear, Mindor appeared on the lacrmia screens.

"I apologise for that ladies and gentlemen, but I have put this behind us and carry on to the port final match," he said turning cheers from the crowd.

" _Dragon Tail A's_ Merrill Silverleaf!" said Agnar.

Merrill was standing at the entrance to the arena with Hiccup and Ragnar.

"I finally get a turn," she said.

"Go tear them up, kid," said Hiccup and Ragnar together.

"Versus _Thor's Hammer_ Shanyla Oceanstar!" Agnar continued.

Shanyla waved at the crowd. "Do you feel the love?" she asked with an adorable smile.

"Oh yeah!" said everyone the crowd, most of them male.

Alron looked down into the arena. ' _Merrill_.'

"No one here realises how strong Shanyla magic truly is," said Lyon. "I can only imagine the look on Ragnar's face."

"Yeah, I'm sure that you were thinking about Ragnar?" said Veger rolling his eyes.

Torn was now crying with tears of joy after the disqualification of _Raven Tail_. "What joy my sock can rest in peace now that it has been avenged. I am so happy."

"You can't ruin a man's thoughts, Veger," said Lyon with a blissful look about him.

Ursula and Jura were giving Shanyla the quick briefing.

"Go give it your all and make us proud," said Jura.

"I will," Shanyla smiled joyfully.

"Lose and I will spin your head off," Ursula warned. "Now quit standing around!"

"All right competitors come on down to the arena! It's time to get this match started!" said Mindor.

Both Merrill and Shanyla ran into the arena as quickly as they could and Shanyla then tripped over a rock and fell face first onto the arena floor causing many in the crowd to laugh.

"Oh, my goodness," said Merrill looking concerned. "You're not injured are you?"

However, Merrill then tripped on a small lock as well and fell face first on the arena floor as well causing more people to laugh. The two young girls look up at each other feeling slightly embarrassed.

"Hi, I'm Merrill it's nice to meet you," Merrill smiled p.

Shanyla nodded. "Yeah, same to you."

"Not so sure about this," said Stormfly looking concerned and troubled at the same time. "Is she ready?"

"The magic power is back and she's in full spirit, she'll be just fine," said Skullcrusher confidently.

"And Hiccup has been teaching her some hand-to-hand combat techniques and some helpful tips," Toothless added.

"I think she's more than ready," said Couldjumper.

Alron just looked down at Merrill. ' _Incredible, even from up here it's clear to see that Merrill has improved by leaps and bounds. But still…_ '

Hiccup the First looked deeply troubled. "Something is odd growled Shanyla's magic power."

"I have to say that this looks to be the most adorable fight so far," said Agnar.

"It will certainly be interesting," Alistair agreed.

"But I would to see what the younger generation is capable of," said Johann looking intrigued.

* * *

King Macario was on his throne looking down, he had not been too pleased about not able to see the fight between Alvin and _Raven Tail_.

"It is a shame that _Raven Tail_ messed up the fighting, I look forward to seeing Alvin fight, but hopefully this fight will be just as entertaining," he said leaning back.

* * *

Jellal was in the city and then sensed something coming from the Coliseum in the same could be said for both Ultear and Orara.

"Feel that?" Orara asked. "We struck gold."

"It's him," said Ultear looking slightly fearful.

' _Jellal did you sense it to?_ ' Orara asked telepathically.

' _It's coming from the Coliseum_ ,' said Jellal running as quickly as he could towards the Coliseum. ' _I'm headed there now. Stand by._ '

' _Understood_ ,' said the two girls.

' _Please be careful out there_ ,' Ultear pleaded.

* * *

Meanwhile the fourth match was about to start as Merrill and Shanyla pick themselves up.

"We're all set for the final match of Day Three," said Agnar.

The horn then blew signalling the start of the match.

"Begin!" Mindor yelled.

Alron just smiled. ' _Good luck, Merrill. I have faith in you_.'

Lyon smiled. "I can't wait to see Ragnar's reaction to Shanyla. He'll freak."

Ragnar too was very confident. "I wish I could say Lyon's face when Merrill wins the match."

"These two young ladies are preparing for battle I wonder what we will see," said Agnar excitedly.

"Is this young lady a newer member of the _Dragon Tail_ Guild?" Johann asked.

"Yes, I only met her briefly, but I'll say this she is an exceptional brave Viking," said Alistair. "I also heard rumours that she's under the tutelage of Hiccup Haddock, one of their most powerful members."

Sting was leaning against the stands now interest in the fight. "So Hiccup is training another young Dragon Slayer."

"That's what has got nothing on you, Sting," said Hookfang dismissively.

Merrill stood there at the centre of the arena taking a deep breath. ' _This is what I've been training for. I have to give it all I got and use everything Hiccup has taught me_.'

"Ready?" said Merrill taking up a fighting stance.

Shanyla nodded.

" _Enchant! Vernier!_ _Ile Arms!_ " Merrill yelled as a pair of magic circles appeared around. " _Sea Dragon's Tidal Wave!_ "

She then unleashed a powerful surge of water from the air straight at Shanyla, who quickly dodged the attack.

"She's so fast," Merrill gasped.

Shanyla then jumped into the air and water began to form in her hand. " _Oh Eastern Sea, become the breath that races across the seas. Sea God's Njord!_ "

She then sent a massive wave of black water which then multiplied and taken the shape of a massive whirlwind at Merrill. It was so powerful that she was literally swept off her feet and sent straight up into the sky.

"No Merrill!" Stormfly cried.

"It's black water?" Hiccup stared.

"It can't be," Orga breathed.

Merrill regained her composure and then unleashed a powerful wave of water that dispelled the black water around. Soon the two young girls were back on the ground facing one another.

"Oh wow," said Shanyla looking impressed. "You can actually dodge it. In that case…!"

Shanyla then raced towards Merrill and unleashing a wave of dark water across the arena. Merrill quickly created a barrier of water herself to protect herself, but saw Shanyla had somehow managed to get around it.

" _Window of Sea, aroused the oceans and rip the land asunder! Sea God's Dance!"_ Shanyla yelled.

She then created two streams of black water which sent Merrill up into the sky in a spiral spin. Merrill's screams could be heard and then Shanyla jumped into the air.

"And now for the fun part," she said.

However, Merrill quickly spun around unleashing a wave of water. " _Sea Dragon's Tsunami Claw!_ " she yelled slamming a massive fist of water straight at Shanyla knocking her straight back down towards the ground.

The two girls fell to the ground slightly uneasy, but regained their balance for another attack.

" _Sea Dragon's_ …" Merrill yelled taking a deep breath.

" _Sea God's_ …" Shanyla yelled doing the same.

"Hold on, what did she say?" Eret stared.

"Are they using the same type of magic?" Alron stared.

"That's _Lost Magic_ ," said Hiccup the First stunned.

Lyon smiled fiendishly. "Our little Shanyla is full of surprises."

" _Roar!_ " Merrill yelled unleashing her breath attack.

" _Bellow!_ " Shanyla yelled unleashing a breath attack of her own but black water.

The two attacks collided and created a massive explosion of water so powerful that it created a powerful up draught that blew across the stands.

"Didn't see that coming," said Ragnar.

"They're not holding back," said Hiccup.

"I wish they did!" Ruby yelled trying to keep the skirt down.

"Don't look boys," said Ursula holding down her skirt.

Veger and Torn were looking very disturbed.

"Knock it off, Old Hag!" Veger yelled.

"You want me to have nightmares?" Torn cried.

Lyon however was more focused on the arena and the yelling that was going on in the stands.

Eventually the dust settled and Merrill looked pretty exhausted and her close were torn up. Shanyla on the other hand was completely unharmed by the attack.

"I know what you are," said Merrill weakly.

"Shanyla is the Sea God Slayer," Lyon smirked.

Alron just stared down at Shanyla with a frightened look. " _God Slaying Magic_ , wielded by a child?"

Hiccup was probably the most disturbing anyone in the stands knowing this type of magic all too well.

"So he wasn't the only one," he said with a troubled look.

Astrid looked at him curiously. "You know this magic?"

"A member of _Grimoire Heart_ used it, his name was Zancrow," said Hiccup folding his arms.

"Yeah, you mentioned him," Ragnar nodded.

"He used _God Slaying Magic_ like Shanyla," said Ruby looking intrigued.

Hiccup nodded. "Yeah, he did and it was one of the toughest fights in my life. Not only was he able to produce fire like I could and eat it, but his file was completely unfeasible until I emptied out my magical reserves. It was one of those rare few moments that I was inch from death."

Ruby looked terrified. "He was that strong? Do you think we should intervene or something?"

Astrid shook her head. "God Slayer or not, Merrill is forced to fight this enemy on her alone." Astrid then looked down at Merrill. "She's into the toughest fight of her life."

In the arena, Merrill picked herself up still bit winded, but now she knew what she was facing against.

"I wasn't expecting this," Merrill admitted.

"Well, Lyon told me all about you," Shanyla smiled. "I was excited when I learned that you use magic similar that's mine. Maybe a little too excited, sorry. Did I go overboard?"

"No, I'll be fine," Merrill assured her. "It's a fight after all."

"Since we're here we might as well have some fun with it, right?" said Shanyla as Merrill panted hard.

"Yeah, I guess so," said Merrill trying to stay upright. "I never figured out how fighting others can be such a source of entertainment for some people." She then stood up straight. "But I'll do my best _Dragon Tail_."

Shanyla nodded. "I like your attitude, Merrill. Then I'll fight extra hard for love and _Thor's Hammer_!"

"It seems that this match is really hotting up," said Agnar. "Any ideas on how this match is going to turn out?"

"Hard to say, there's only been really one counting of a Dragon Slayer and a God Slayer colliding," said Johann.

Alistair nodded. "However the Dragon Slayer question was in fact Hiccup Haddock so he might have taught Merrill a futurist in order to deal with God Slayers."

"I guess there's only one way to find out," said Agnar as he turned his attention back onto the arena.

King Macario was leaning forward slightly. "Ah, the powers of a dragon and a god are colliding this will prove to be a very interesting match and show the power of a new generation of Vikings."

Shanyla then made the first move unleashing a wave of black water at Merrill, who was then blown backwards. However, she quickly recovered and slammed the fist of water straight at Shanyla, but she quickly counted and sent Merrill flying back.

"Shanyla is completely overwhelming young Merrill with blow after blow," said Agnar. "The question is now is whether Merrill is a wooded go with the flow and counter-attack."

"They certainly seem to be giving it all they got," said Alistair.

"This proves that you should not underestimate even the smallest of Vikings," said Johann.

Merrill was now trapped in a vortex of black water and unable to find a way out of it. ' _I can't give up, everybody else thought so hard to get us this far it's my turn now and I won't fail them not after Snotlout put his trust in me. I just have to remember everything Hiccup taught me_.'

Merrill was eventually pushed out of the vortex as he was blown backwards, but she managed to hold her ground. She then started to remember the old guild, which turned out to be an illusion, and how _Dragon Tail_ took her in when she was all alone.

' _I don't like fighting and honestly I hope I'll never do, but at the end of the day when it comes up for standing for_ DragonTail…' Merrill then found her was old and began to absorb as much water in the air as she could. ' _I will fight with everything I've got!_ '

Shanyla looked up. "Oh, wow you really can eat what in the air. This will be a blast," she said as she did the same. "I'm going to eat my fill too!"

"Well, I'll be," said Jura looking intrigued. "I don't think I've ever seen Shanyla gorge on water in the middle of a battle. Young Merrill must be quite affordable opponent, Sir Hiccup must be quite the excellent teacher."

"Take this seriously or you'll end up losing your favourite sock!" Torn yelled.

Veger shook his head. "I doubt that. You're the only one with a weird sock fixation."

"Keep watching, her real power is yet to come," said Lyon.

"I'm not sure, but it looks like those two are somehow eating the water in the air?" Agnar frowned.

"All Slayers have the ability of heating their own element, but it has to come from an outside source," Johann explained. "This being the case they have to come up with creative ways in order to re-energise. Hiccup Haddock for one managed to develop a blade capable of producing fire so that he could eat in the middle of a battle."

"Quite an ingenious method," Alistair nodded.

" _Dragon Slayer Secret Art!_ " Merrill yelled as an ocean blue Magic Circle appeared beneath her feet.

Gothi, who was in the stands stared down at her. ' _She's mastered one of them and at such a young age?_ '

Hiccup smiled. "Here it comes."

"Yeah!" Ruby cheered.

"Merrill learned a secret technique?" Skullcrusher stared.

"A really strong one, too," Toothless smiled.

"She's quite resourceful," said Stormfly proudly.

"Looks like Merrill is full of tricks," said Cloudjumper folding his arms.

Shanyla watched as a wall of water appeared around the trapping him in place and try to figure out what Merrill was trying to accomplish.

"What are you doing now?" she asked. "Are you trying to trap me, but you're in here too?"

" _Deep Sea: Ocean Bow!_ " Merrill yelled.

Suddenly appearing in our hands with a bow of water and then before Shanyla could do anything Merrill fired an arrow made of water straight at her. The attack was so fierce that Shanyla was hidden from view and when the lights finally faded they saw that she was sent flying backwards and fell to the ground.

"Shanyla!" Lyon yelled from the stands.

Hiccup's team cheered loudly.

Merrill was breathing heavily due to the fact he unleashed a massive amount of magic power. ' _I haven't fully mastered the_ Endless Sea _yet, but I gave the Ocean Bow everything I had. This is my full strength_.'

Gothi just smiled from the stands. ' _Well done, child. Well done._ '

' _I hope I didn't overdo it_ ,' said Merrill looking at Shanyla's motionless body. Mindor approached Shanyla and examined her. ' _But this means…_ '

Mindor raised his hand. "It would seem that Shanyla is unable to battle! The winner of match for is _Dragon Tail_ …"

However, before he could finish Shanyla stood back up. "Hold on, don't count me out just yet. This bike has just gotten started."

Merrill's eyes widened in horror, because there was not a scratch on Shanyla was in fact healing her body removing all traces of the damage that she had caused.

Shanyla smiled at her. "You're really something else, that was so fun."

"I stand corrected, the fight continues!" Mindor announced.

Hiccup's eyes widened in horror. "How is she still standing?"

"Oh no, her injuries are all healed," Ruby gasped.

Lyon smirked. " _Sea God Slayer Magic_ allows Vikings to heal their wounds mid battle something that Merrill can't do. In other words she has no chance of losing."

"I had no idea that she was this strong," said Astrid stunned.

"Damn, it Lyon, I should've known you would have a trump card," Ragnar cursed.

Jura smiled curiously. "I wonder what is causing Shanyla the whole back like that?"

"It's hard to believe that she still not fighting seriously," said Veger.

"She's got some bite to backup her bark," said Torn.

"Well, the little darling is my cousin after all," said Ashelin smiled in a blissfully fashion.

"That's got nothing to do with it and you know it!" Ursula snapped.

Merrill was barely able to stand and Shanyla took notice of this.

"You're not hurt, are you?" she asked. "I was hoping that we could play more."

* * *

"Come on, Merrill," said Alron.

He then felt someone blush beside him. "Excuse me," he said.

"Sure," said Alron looking up. He then recognised the person to be none other than Jellal and stood up straight. "Mystogan?"

' _Jellal, can you hear us?_ ' Orara asked telepathically.

' _Well, did you find anything?_ ' Ultear asked troublingly.

Jellal was now able to see the arena. ' _No, nothing yet._ '

He then looked down at Shanyla troublingly. ' _Shanyla? Don't tell me that little girl is connected to Drago somehow?_ ' He definitely sensed the magic power coming from the arena and his eyes opened in horror. ' _She is! Merrill, is in real danger I have to do something!_ '


	45. Small Fists

Merrill was now completely exhausted while Shanyla looks completely unharmed. She had used practically all the power into one single attack, but Shanyla managed to heal herself and sadly she wasn't able to do the same.

"Whoa, you're not going to give up are you?" Shanyla frowned noting how tired she was.

"Come on, Merrill," said Hiccup frantically.

"She can barely stand," said Ruby worriedly.

"Poor girl," said Astrid in a concerned voice.

"This is one intense battle," said Ragnar.

* * *

Jellal was making his way down the stands to get a closer look at the battle, he was deeply concerned that Shanyla was somehow linked to Drago in some way.

' _I'm not sure how, but it's possible that Shanyla could be tied in with Drago_ ,' he said to himself as he made his way to the front. ' _If that's true Merrill could be in real trouble_.'

Most of the crowd weren't too pleased that he was blocking their path.

"Hey, get out the way!"

Fortunately most the crowd recognised him. "That guy is…"

"Mystogan," a woman breathed.

Jellal however was more concerned on the battle and the rest of the crowd. ' _Should I stop them or wait and see._ '

Alron had also made his way down to the front, but he was given a close eye on Mystogan. ' _He's so focused on Merrill. I know they're in the same Guild, but something is not right. I managed to infiltrate_ Dragon Tail _seven years ago and as a result I know some of the Guild inside information._ _Mystogan, there's no way he could be in Midgard right now_.'

Jellal then send someone watching them and saw Alron from the corner of his eye. ' _He's from the Council_. _That's all I need._ '

* * *

Merrill was breathing quite heavily and could barely stand which didn't go unnoticed by Shanyla.

"Hey, listen… I don't hate fighting, but I don't love it either. It's just going to get worse for you if you keep dragging this out because it's obvious that I'm going to win," said Shanyla.

Merrill was barely able to say a word as he focused all the power on standing.

"You should probably just give up, kay," Shanyla suggested.

"No, I can't!" said Merrill finally.

Everyone then stared at her.

"The fact that I'm still standing right here in front of you meantime not backing down, I'm willing to give everything I've got for my guild," she said strongly. "I don't need your pity, I'm not giving up so please come and get me! Beat me until I fall to the ground! Can you do that?"

Shanyla was quite stunned with her announcement.

"Merrill," Stormfly breathed.

Both Jellal and Gothi just watched in silence as they looked down at Merrill.

Shanyla smiled. "Well, if that's what you really want."

"It is," said Merrill taking up a fighting stance.

"Okay, then I guess it's time for my big attack," she said as he began to collect a large amount of black water around. "It will all be over once I hit you with this one."

Merrill just there strong and firm.

Shanyla then began spinning around as did the black water around her. " _God's Slayer Secret Art!_ " she yelled.

The members of _Thor's Hammer_ just stared at her in horror.

"Don't do it Shanyla!" Lyon yelled.

"Have you gone mad?" Jura stared.

"You dimwit! I'm trying to kill the poor girl!" Ursula roared.

"She came with me with full force," said Shanyla as black seaweed began to form around her. "So I've got to do the same, because that's love."

She continued to channel her magic and more black seaweed began to form around her and Merrill just added her the amount of power she was unleashing.

"Whoa, what kind of magic is that?" Astrid stared.

Jellal just stared open eyed. "No," he said.

" _Deep Raging Seas!_ " Shanyla yelled.

She then unleashed a powerful wave of black water and seaweed straight at Merrill at full force as the shadow of a serpent appeared behind. Everyone just stared in horror knowing that it made contact finish Merrill off completely. However, at the very last second the attack turned away from Merrill and missed her completely.

Shanyla was taken quite a back as a small smile appeared on Merrill.

"She dodged it?" Gustav blinked.

"More like it miss her," said Stoick.

"What just happened?" Ruby frowned.

"Merrill did something completely unexpected," Hiccup smiled proudly.

"What you mean?" Ruby frowned.

"Shanyla's magic can perform self-restoration, but it's limited," said Valka. "It heals physical damage yet it is nothing to recover lost stamina."

"Merrill's magic is just the opposite," said Stormfly as she does explain to everyone about Shanyla's limitations. "It cannot perform self-restoration, but it can restore a target stamina."

Toothless stared at her. "That means…"

"She help her opponent and that's what mess her up," Gustav concluded.

Lyon had just figured what just happened. "So her attack was thrown off course, because of the added power."

Hiccup had just finished explaining to his team what had happened. "She made it missed by increasing her enemy's energy," Ragnar stared.

Sting looked down at Merrill. "Hiccup has definitely been teaching her and very well it would seem."

Shanyla had just realised what Merrill had done. "What a great tactic," she said looking at her impressively. "Way to go."

"Thanks, but Hiccup was the one that taught me to use surprise to fill my enemy off balance," Merrill smiled and then jumped into the air. "He also taught me hand-to-hand combat! _Sea Dragon's Tsunami Claw!_ "

She then slammed the fist of water right down onto Shanyla, who then used her magic to heal herself.

"Lyon told Hiccup was good, but I had no idea that he was such a great teacher," Shanyla smiled. "Though I think most of the credit goes to you. You're awesome."

Merrill then spun around and swung a powerful kick towards and Shanyla did the same. The collision created a powerful up draught of water that was sent everywhere. They soon landed back onto the ground and looked at each other with a firmed expression.

"What an amazing turn of events ladies and gentlemen," said Agnar. "These little girls attack no question about it as neither one of them is giving up. It's a small fish fight now and their duking it out for their Guild."

The two small elven girls were now swinging fist of water at one another and neither one was giving an inch.

Jellal was now more relaxed. ' _I can't stop them. Their fists may be small, but their spirit so blasted the ocean_.'

Everyone watched transfixed as the two young girls kept on fighting with everything they had. They were showing such a young spirit that everyone was cheering as loudly as they could encouraging them.

King Macario was completely transfixed from his throne. "Now this is a match I've been hoping for!"

Attack after attack the young girls launched and no matter how many times they hit one another they didn't back down they just kept going. It was breath-taking to truly behold as members of _Dragon Tail_ and _Thor's Hammer_ watched transfixed.

"Let's make a draw," Hiccup smiled.

Stormfly was in tears. "Oh, Merrill," she cried.

The entire crowd cheered louder than any other the matches they had seen today. Eventually the horn blew signalling the end of the match, but neither girl was down for the count. The two girls immediately stop fighting and panting for breathe as they were completely exhausted.

"You know what that sound means time that!" Agnar yelled and the crowd cheered. "This means that this match ends and both sides are winners because both _Thor's Hammer_ and _Dragon Tail A's_ scores five points."

"That was amazing," Hiccup smiled.

Ruby was brushing a tear out of her eye. "You were amazing Merrill good job."

"They both fought splendidly," Astrid nodded.

"No joke," Ragnar smiled. He then turned to Hiccup. "You really did a good job teaching Merrill."

Hiccup chuckled slightly. "I wish I could take full credit, but it was Merrill's spirit that gave her this victory."

"Those little girls are much stronger than they look," said Lyon.

Veger nodded. "Yeah, that was some fight."

Torn then cried out in buckets.

"I have to say that this was the most emotional fight we have seen so far!" said Agnar.

"I wholeheartedly agree," Alistair nodded. "I was completely at the edge of my seat."

"These young girls have shown is the spirit of the Guild and the next generation of Vikings and watching them I have to say that it's going to be fun to watch," said Johann with a smile.

Jura smiled down at Merrill. "When it comes to magic power Shanyla's is far superior to Merrill's and yet…" He then stared to remember the first day that they met that she was shy and unsure of herself. ' _The thing that shy little girl has grown into this strong young woman. Sir Hiccup, you have taught her well_.'

Sting looked down at Merrill. "I have to say, that little girl's got spunk. It seems Hiccup hasn't lost his touch."

Toothless looked at Stormfly. "That was a great match," he said.

Stormfly nodded. "Hiccup has certainly been a good role model for her even despite my worries."

Merrill then collapsed and panted heavily and Shanyla was also panting heavily barely able to stand up on her two feet.

"I bet that hurt, I'm sorry," she said apologetically looking at Merrill.

Merrill smiled back. "It's okay, you don't need to apologise."

The two girls smiled at one another and Shanyla then approached her and note down next to her.

"That was a lot of fun, here you go," said Shanyla as a hands began to glow and Merrill felt the pain easing away.

"Feels good," Merrill sighed in bliss. "From where it stands, I kinda and fun too."

"Hey, you think you and I could be friends?" Shanyla asked.

Merrill stared at her. "Yeah, but are you sure you want a friend like me?"

"Oh, come on, that's no way to answer my question," said Shanyla as she was done healing. She then held her hand out. "Let's be friends from now on. What do you say?"

Merrill smiled at her broadly. "Yeah, I'd love to!"

Merrill then picked herself up and the two of them shook hands.

Then two of them heard the sound of clapping and saw a Hiccup approaching them.

"You two were extraordinary," he said. "You show the world what the next generation of Vikings are capable of and what the future of our respective Guilds means." He then looked at Merrill. "And I can't be any more proud of you Merrill you were amazing."

Merrill then burst into tears and wrapped her arms around Hiccup. "I have a great teacher," she said crying into his shirt. "Or a better brother."

Hiccup then wrapped his arms around him.

"There's a lot of emotion in the arena now," said Agnar. "The Grand Magic Games could and right now and I die a happy man."

"Hold on, we still have a ways to go," said Johann. "It is only the end of Day Three."

"In that case we'll see you tomorrow ladies and gentlemen," said Agnar. "But before we call this a day let's look at the scoreboard!"

1st Sabretooth: 34P

2nd Valkyrie's Sword: 32P

3rd Thor's Hammer: 31P

4th Dragon Tail B: 30P

5th Dragon Tail A: 27P

6th Blue Pegasus: 18P

7th Blazing Puppy: 14p

X Raven Tail: eliminated

"With the elimination of Raven Tail and after that stunning victory, Sabretooth returning back to the top spot with 34 points!" said Agnar. "Moving up to ranks is Valkyrie's Sword 32 points! Falling down to 3rd place is Thor's Hammer 31 points."

"Close behind them is Dragon Tail Team B, who after such a stunning victory gained fourth place with 30 points and that followed closely by Team A with 27 points," said Johann.

"We're falling behind again," Ragnar noted.

"We've still got plenty of time to catch up," said Hiccup confidently.

"Now in sixth place is Blue Pegasus with 18 points and at the back in 7th place is Blazing Puppy with a total of 14 points," Agnar concluded.

"These were not dead last," said Thuggory folding his arms grudgingly. "Though I can't say that I'm pleased the only reason we are because Raven Tail got themselves kicked out."

* * *

Alron was smiling from the stands as Hiccup took Merrill out of the arena, but with the match over he can now maintain his focus on Jellal.

Jellal frowned. ' _That's odd, I thought the ominous magic power would dissipate once the fight ended, but I still sense it. Perhaps Shaynla isn't the source after all_ ,' he said to himself. He then turned to one of the exits. ' _It's coming from over there, it's heading towards the exit_.'

Jellal started to make his way towards the exit from in the crowd of people, but following him was Alron. Knowing that he could get caught uses magic to spread across the crowd.

' _Did he notice me?_ ' Alron wondered. ' _I had better move fast._ '

Jellal had managed to reach the foyer and there was no sign of Alron, but his moaning focus was tracking the magical disturbance.

' _Who is the source of this power?_ ' he wondered.

Then within the crowd he saw cloaked figure and immediately detect the source of the magic from them.

' _Right there_ ,' he said and sped towards the figure. ' _I've found you_.'

Unfortunately, suddenly appearing in front of him using his own magic was Alron.

' _Where did he come from?_ ' Jellal stared.

"Going somewhere?" Alron asked.

Jellal saw the cloaked figure was heading towards the exit from the Coliseum. ' _No, not now,_ ' he cursed. ' _They were just right in front of me_.'

"Tell me who you are!" Alron demanded.

' _I could knock him out with one hit_ ,' Jellal thought. ' _No. Everyone is under the impression that I'm a_ Dragon Tail _Viking. I can't go attacking the Council_.'

Then to make matters worse Alistair appeared with a group of guards from his unit.

"Alron, what's all the commotion?" Alistair asked.

' _Dammit,_ ' Jellal cursed.

"You're not fooling me," said Alron looking directly into Jellal's eyes. "I know that you're not Mystogan. So who are you?"

Jellal just remain quiet as he tried single way to get out of this mess and as he stood there the appearance of two Viking Council representatives was drawing a bit of a crowd.

"I'll ask one more time… just who are you?" Alron demanded.

"I'm sorry, I don't have time for this," said Jellal as he walked past him.

However, Alron quickly vanished and reappeared next to him grabbing hold of his shoulder. "Hold it right there! I know Mystogan is not in Midgard!"

"I assure you that I am," said Jellal strongly.

Then Alron raised his hand. "What are you—?"

"Let me see your face!" Alron yelled.

He moved so fast that Jellal had no time to counter and felt his mask being removed revealing his facedown everyone.

"No," he gasped.

Alron and Alistair gasped upon seeing his face.

"Jellal?" Alistair gasped.

Everyone just stood there in silence, but the Johann appeared out of nowhere.

"I see someone finally remove your mask," he said with his arms behind his back. "Ah, Mystogan."

"Johann?" Alron stared.

"Master Alistair, now he understand why he's chosen to hide his face hidden from the general public?" Johann asked. "Mystogan has spent his entire life dealing with the fact that he looks identical to Jellal. Can you please show him some sympathy?"

"He's not, Jellal?" Alistair blinked.

"Tell me Alistair have you ever heard of the world known as Edolas?"

"Yes, my men told me about it."

"Then I'm sure you're aware that there's a strong connection to our world, in fact everyone in Midgard has a twin living there."

Alistair then turned to Jellal. "So then… you look like him, but that's just a coincidence?"

"Yes," Jellal lied.

* * *

At that same moment the ladies from Valkyrie's Sword had just entered the foyer.

"That was an amazing wasn't it?" said Babs.

Camicazi then saw Jellal standing there in the open posing as Mystogan. ' _Jellal?_ ' she gasped. She then toppled over feeling sick to her stomach.

"Camicazi!" Athessa gasped.

Camicazi then fell over fighting the urge to throw up.

"Whoa, what's the matter? You feeling all right?" Kelail asked.

"Does your stomach hurt?" Babs asked.

"Oh no, what's wrong?" Neria cried.

Camicazi just laid there shaking uncontrollably looking as if she was going to be sick. The hand holding her sword was shaking uncontrollably as if she was fighting the urge not to draw it.

Athessa bent down and placed a hand on her. "Calm down. It will be okay," she said.

"Hey! Somebody call a doctor!" Kelail called.

"Our friend needs help!" Neria cried.

"What happened?" a guy asked.

"She hut something?" someone asked.

She then saw Jellal right in front of her and her eyes widened. Rage then consumed every fibre of her being. "Jellal," she snarled.

She was about to confront him, but Camicazi grabbed her hand. "It's okay, I'm calm now," she said calmly.

"He's right there! It's him!" Neria pointed.

Camicazi then got to her feet. "I'm well aware. I told you I'm fine thanks." Face then darkened as she stared at Jellal. "They've been harbouring him all this time."

Neria stared at her. " _Dragon Tail_ is protecting, Jellal?" She then stood there completely conflicted. "Astrid? How could you?"

* * *

Alistair then ordered his men to leave as he confronted Jellal.

"Thank you for understanding my situation," said Jellal.

"Oh-uh, no thanks needed," Alistair assured. "I apologise for my ignorance."

Jellal then placed his mask back on. "Just do you know, I consider Jellal a menace as well," he said honestly. "If I find him, I'll be sure to notify you."

Alistair nodded.

"Excuse me," said Jellal making his way towards the entrance passing Johann at the same time. ' _I'm in your debt, Mr Johann._ '

Johann was fully aware who he truly was as Stoick had informed him beforehand. ' _I won't do it again_ ,' he warned. ' _You should leave before you cause any trouble for Stoick._ '

' _I will, I assure you I'll be gone by the end of the Games_ ,' Jellal assured.

Alistair then approached Alron. "That was really him."

Alron stared at him.

Alistair's face narrowed. "I'll let Mr Johann save face for the time being, but just this once."

Jellal had finally made his way outside and began tracking for the disturbance only to find that it was gone which was completely surprising.

' _The trails gone cold_ ,' he cursed. ' _That strange foreboding presence. It can't be Drago in the figure was far too small. The question is who were they and what is that link to Drago?_ '

* * *

It was late at night and Alvin was meeting Stoick in the quiet marketplace. The two old friends looked at one another in silence and Alvin began to remember his battle with his mother this morning.

"Stoick, want to tell me about the _Lumen Histoire_?" Alvin asked.

Stoick didn't look completely surprised that he knew about it. "Let me guess, Excellinor mentioned it?"

Alvin nodded. "Yeah, over and over again. It seems she really wants to get her hands on it."

"But good for nothing banshee," Stoick grumbled.

"She tried to tell me that it was _Dragon Tail's_ darkest secret," said Alvin curiously.

Stoick just stood there in silence.

"It's not dark at all," said a voice.

They looked up and saw making their way towards them was Hiccup the First.

"First Master?" Stoick blinked.

"The _Lumen Histoire_ it isn't what brings light into our Guild," he said.

"Remember you mustn't tell him," Stoick reminded.

"I know that, it's top secret information that is only shared to those who serve as Guild Master," Hiccup the First nodded. He then looked at Alvin upon. "Sorry, I hope you can understand Alvin."

Alvin merely shrugged. "As long as it ain't something we are I don't have a reason to pry."

"I appreciate it," said Hiccup the First.

"I wonder… how was Excellinor managed to get hold of such classified information," Stoick frowned.

"I can only assume the Second Master Runa told him," Hiccup the First theorised.

Stoick nodded in agreement. "Yes, he would be the most likely source."

Hiccup the First sighed. "I never thought that she would fall to the dark side. Though thinking about it, she had always been a dark horse."

"You can't blame yourself what happened," said Stoick.

"It just makes me wonder what could have changed her so dramatically that she would actually attack our Guild."

"We may never know, but hopefully this will make us stronger," said Stoick.

Hiccup the First nodded. "We can only hope."


	46. Naval Battle

Everyone was celebrating their victories at the inn and there was a lot of excitement among them.

"Cheers!" everyone yelled as they slammed tankards together.

"Looks like we finally gain some recognition!" Hiccup smiled.

"Just remember this isn't the Guildhall," Ruby reminded everyone. "Anything we reckon we have to pay for!"

Agatha was smiling proudly at everyone. "I think it's safe to say that I take after my old man."

"Yeah, yeah, we're all very impressed," said Spitelout rolling his eyes.

"And now we don't have to worry about _Raven Tail_ ," Heather smiled.

"Good riddance to bad rubbish," Ragnar agreed.

"Astrid made taking those monsters down easy, but I barely managed to get a draw," Merrill sighed.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, you were wonderful," said Stormfly encouragingly.

"In fact you are really impressed everyone," said Skullcrusher.

Fishlegs nodded. "You were really something out there."

* * *

Ruby and Adelaide looked at Astrid, who was sitting down on a chair and in the face by her injuries whatsoever.

"I should have known you would heal superfast," said Ruby impressively. "Tell us what your secret?"

"Actually I owe it to Merrill and Miss Gothi," Astrid shrugged.

"Sadly Snotlout's the opposite," Adelaide sighed. "Their Healing Magic hardly seems to help him at all."

* * *

Snotlout was still in the infirmary covered in bandages and then he gave us a massive your and opened his eyes.

"I'm getting sick of waking up in this bed," he groaned.

He then felt something on his chest and looked down to find Rubbella was fast asleep and resting her head on his chest.

"Hey! Get off me!" Snotlout roared.

Rubbella then stirred. "I'm not worried about him, not one bit," she mumbled in her sleep.

Snotlout blinked. "Has she been with me this entire time?"

He then felt his cheeks grow hot.

* * *

Everyone was enjoying a nice time celebrating their recent successes especially Hiccup, Ragnar and Astrid as the two of them were laughing and drinking together.

"Boys those three are certainly close," Astrid blinked.

"They have been on the same team longer than I remember," said Fishlegs.

Everyone laughed loudly.

' _Even now I remember it also clearly. Ruby, all the eating and drinking, the singing and dancing we ended Day Three in pure joy_ ,' Fishlegs wrote.

* * *

Meanwhile at the hotel Sabretooth were staying at, Hookfang saw that Sting was leaning against the balcony and was looking down at the city.

"Hey, Sting? What's up, aren't you tired?" he said rubbing his eyes.

"Nah, not really," said Sting.

He then looked up at the moon above them which was nearly full. "I get the feeling that I'm am going to be fighting Hiccup tomorrow. I've been waiting for this chance was seven years, I'm too excited to sleep."

"You got this, Sting. No doubt about it," said Hookfang confidently.

Rogue was in her room next to a sleeping Skull, she too can sleep and looked at the ceiling.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the inn that _Valkyrie's Sword_ were staying at Camicazi was taking a hot shower after an argumentative conversation with her mother.

"But they're harbouring him!" she yelled looking at Bertha.

"As you keep telling me," Bertha sighed. "However there is nothing I can do?"

"Can't you just question?" Camicazi asked.

"And say what? 'My daughter is convicted that you're hiding a fugitive?'" said Bertha tiredly.

"But they are?" Camicazi roared.

"Camicazi!" her mother scowled and she shrank slightly. "I would want nothing more for Jellal to pay for his crimes, but it is far too dangerous throwing accusations this late in the Games. If you and Neria want to know the truth I suggest that you wait until the Games are over and that is final!"

* * *

Neria was outside on the balcony in deep thought when Kelail approached looking slightly concerned.

"You and Camicazi have been acting weird ever since this afternoon," she noted. "Did something happen today?"

Neria just looked at her calmly. "You could say that."

Kelail frowned slightly.

Neria looked down at the city. ' _I don't understand why is_ Dragon Tail _harbouring Jellal? Does Astrid even know about this?_ '

"Well whatever it is that's got you down, you can talk to me," said Kelail. "Being Guild mates means that we'll always look out for each other."

"Thank you," Neria smiled. She then looked up at the night sky. "But I'll be okay. It doesn't have anything to do with the tournament."

Then to Kelail's surprise, Neria hugged her. "Uh, Neria you're sure you're all right?" Kelail stared.

"I just really want to win this thing," she said. "You know I love this Guild with all my heart so I want to work harder for everyone's sake."

* * *

Jellal was wondering through the alleyways of the city in deep thought. He had a feeling that Alistair and Alron didn't buy Johann's explanation and would no doubt step up security.

* * *

Meanwhile deep below the palace was Throk and then approaching him in a guard uniform was none other than Vala, who saluted him.

"Sergeant Vala Starlight, reporting for duty," she said.

' _As the night of Day Three came to an end, all of our feelings and ambitions became intertwined. With each passing moment who drew closer to it. Only four days remained until calamity…_ ' Fishlegs wrote.

* * *

Soon it was morning, and everyone was gathered at the Coliseum for the start of Day Four which was the last of the competitors to get as many points as possible. However, in the centre of the arena was a huge bubble of water suspended in mid-air. The water was magically created which allowed the people who enter into it to believe which was fortunate considering it was the battlefield for the next game.

"It's a sunny day from magic and mayhem," said Agnar. "Were ready to kick off Day Four's contest with a bang. Today's game is called, Naval Battle. That's right folks, strap yourself in for an exciting skirmish in the seas.

"The battlefield is a large ball of water, if you get pushed out you lose the match. The last competitive swimming will be declared the winner. However when only two competitors remain inside the battlefield a special rule will come into play. We call it the Five-Minute Rule, in this instance when one of the remaining challenges remain in the ring within the first five minutes of the final showdown they'll get last place."

"So the game essentially becomes an underwater sumo match," Johann simplified.

"This will certainly be spectacular," said King Barkel, who was today's special guest. "I am honoured that you invited me here."

"Today's special guest's royalty as he is the king of the dwarfs, King Barkel!" Agnar announced earning a few cheers from the crowd.

A split second later the competitors for the match entered into the pool water.

"Looks like the challenges are chosen," said Agnar as Shanyla entered into the pool wearing an orange and black striped bikini. "From _Thor's Hammer_ it's Shanyla."

"I won't settle for a draw today, I'm winning this!" she said.

A split second later Ase, who was wearing a purple and black striped bikini entered the pool. "Ase from _Blue Pegasus_ hits the waves."

"You'll try, but I'll succeed," said Ase.

Then Kelail, wearing her normal beach attire entered the water. "From _Valkyrie's Sword_ it's Kelail!"

"Underestimate me and you lose it all," she warned.

Next came Heather, wearing a blue and white polka dot bikini stepped in. "Also join the fray as Heather from _Dragon Tail Team B_."

"Water and I go hand-in-hand, there's no way I'll be defeated my own element," said Heather strongly.

She was then quickly followed by Minerva, who was wearing a blue skintight swimsuit that revealed her stomach.

"Minerva of _Sabretooth_ as your service," she said dramatically.

The crowd cheered the moment they saw Minerva.

"Just listen to that crowd, sounds like we've got a fan favourite here," said Agnar.

"With this change _Sabretooth's_ team now has consists of its five strongest," Johann explained.

"Then it looks like were about to see some fireworks though I'm not sure that's possible underwater," King Barkel chuckled.

"Lastly, the Celestial bombshell from _Dragon Tail Team A_ , Ruby!" Agnar finished as Ruby appeared in a king and yellow star bikini.

"I can't lose this either," she said strongly. "I let my friends down the first day, but that won't happen again!"

"The scenery doesn't yet much better than this folks," said Agnar with a smile. "Each team has sent a strictly swimsuit clad female challenger to represent them."

"Not quite," said Johann.

Thuggory was the last to emerge wearing a red speedo. "At least someone remembered!" he yelled.

"Someone seems a bit testy," King Barkel noted.

"Whatever the case is as deep sea rumble," said Agnar. "Try and stay in the water as long as you can, I hope you ladies are ready, because the Naval Battle was about to begin!"

"This is your chance Ruby! Go get them!" Hiccup called from the stands.

"If she uses Aquarius you can take them all out at once," Ragnar smiled.

"Let's cheer for her as hard as we can!" said Astrid.

"Right," Merrill nodded.

"I think Heather is going to win this one," said Adelaide. "I mean she was made for this kind of stuff."

"Don't be so sure," said Gobber looking down strictly. "Ruby has a large range of _Celestial Spirits_ to call upon besides Aquarius."

"Let's not forget about Shanyla," said Helga frowning slightly. "She's a _Sea God Slayer_ which means she is able to eat water and their swimming in it plus you be able to eat up all of Heather and Aquarius' attacks."

"And I wouldn't put it past that _Sabretooth_ girl to try some underhanded trick either," Ingrid added.

"Good luck, Ruby! You can do it!" Fishlegs cheered.

The horn then blew signalling the start of the match.

"There's the horn, let the Naval Battle begin!" Agnar announced.

"Guess I'm going to get the party started this round," Ruby smiled as he grabbed Aquarius' key. "Open! _Gate of Water Bearer! Aquarius!_ "

Then in a bright light Aquarius appeared on the field much to the surprise of everyone.

"What the?" Shanyla stared.

"A Spirit?" Ase blinked.

"Looks like that girl's got some tricks up her sleeves," said Kelail smiled. "This is getting interesting."

Aquarius then roared in frustration and Ruby hit behind her. "This is my domain you grazing bimbos!" she roared.

She then unleashed a giant tornado from her own straight towards them and Ase, Shanyla, Kelail and Thuggory were immediately caught in the current.

"My turn," said Heather as he outstretched arms. " _Water Cyclone!_ "

She then unleashed a powerful vortex of water which then collided with Aquarius' attack. The two water tornadoes clashed and it appeared to be a draw of power.

"Is it my imagination or did Heather just take on Aquarius?" Spitelout asked.

"This game is already crazy," said Fishlegs.

"How awesome!" Adelaide cheered. "I wonder which one of them is stronger?"

"I wonder which two of them are stronger?" Valka wondered.

"Let's hope for our sake Heather," said Eret folding his arms. "Though with that being said water is element and when she's inside it you better watch out."

Heather and Aquarius' attacks were still clashing with one another and neither one giving an inch.

"It's been a while, hasn't it Aquarius?" said Heather.

"Don't think I'll hold back just because well acquainted, sister," Aquarius sneered.

Heather smiled. "I wouldn't dream of it."

"Aquarius is something else, she can even hold her own against Heather's power," said Hiccup.

"I was just thinking that the most impressive thing here is that Heather is standing up against Aquarius' power," said Merrill.

Aquarius found it hard to believe that their attack power was equal to one another.

"We're even?" she stared.

"I won't lose here! There's no way I'm going to let my team down!" Heather yelled. Her eyes and looked towards Ragnar. "Or anyone else in my Guild."

"It looks like the fight is the only thing Heather has on her mind," Astrid noted.

Ragnar just remain quiet and remembered what Astrid had said two nights ago.

In the water Ruby was impressed by Heather's power.

"Heather?" she gasped.

"And not holding back, because we're in same Guild," said Heather.

"Neither am I!" Heather yelled back.

The other competitors were now good distance away from the clash of titans.

"They're really going at it," Kelail noted.

"They're way too busy to deal with anybody else. Which means this is my chance," Ase smirked.

Then Ase swam towards Thuggory's back was turned at the time. Then before he realised it Ase kicked him hard in the face.

"No boys allowed!" she yelled.

Her kicker been so hard that Thuggory was flying out of the pool and landed face first in the dirt.

" _Blazing Puppy_ is out of the game!" Agnar announced much to the dismay of _Blazing Puppy_. "Ase caught Thuggory completely off-guard." The crowd then cheered even louder. "The crowd can't be any happier with this disqualification, because now they get what they really wanted all along. An all-girl bikini battle!"

"Still you can't help feel sorry for _Blazing Puppy_ not exactly the all-stars in the games this year," said King Barkel.

"Don't rub it in," Thuggory groaned.

"What a cheap shot," said Eret folding his arms. "I guess that's one way to win."

"It was certainly a unique fighting style," said Valka.

"That's one way to put it," said Agatha.

Shanyla was now joining the fray. "I better kick things up a notch!" she said.

She then used the water to repel herself towards Kelail and swung a powerful water this straight at her. Kelail quickly used her gravity necklace in order to push Shanyla back.

"Now try kid, but it can do better than that," she said.

Aquarius and Heather was still unleashing their attacks upon one another and there was no way a winner inside.

"Okay, this is taking way too long," said Aquarius. "I've got to get out of here."

Ruby looked up. "But I need you! What could possibly be more important than helping me win this?"

Aquarius then smirked at her slightly. "My man," she said simply.

"Again!" Ruby roared.

Aquarius then vanished.

"Apparently Aquarius has decided to abandon her Viking to rendezvous with her boyfriend," Agnar blinked.

"Ah, young love," Johann sighed.

"Yes, but it's left Ruby in quite an awkward position," King Barkel noted.

He was long as Aquarius is attack vanished leaving her wide open to Heather's attack. She just smiled at her innocently.

"Well thought, but without your trump card your through!" Heather yelled and unleashed her attack towards Ruby.

Ruby then immediately swam up with and grabbed both Ruby and Aries keys. "I can use some help here!" she cried.

The keys glowed and then something grabbed Ruby putting her out of the way of the attack and then a huge wall of wool appeared. It was none other than Virgo, who was wearing a black bikini and Aries, who was wearing a fluffy white bikini.

"I'm sorry we're late," said Aries looking back at Ruby as she held back Heather's attack. "Are you all right Ruby?"

"We're here to defend you, Mistress," said Virgo, who was holding Ruby and her arms.

"That was close," Ruby sighed with relief.

The crowd went completely gaga upon seeing the two spirits.

"It would seem as if the crowd enjoying these two spirits as much Aquarius," King Barkel noted.

"Summon all your pets they can't help you!" Heather yelled as he unleashed another cyclone of water.

"Stay strong you two, she's incredibly powerful," said Ruby.

"This would be much easier if we're on solid ground," Virgo pointed out. She then swam as powerfully as she could come in Ruby along. "But my Mistress will is my command

"I'll try my best to!" Aries cried creating another wall of wool to block the attack.

Now there was a three-way battle between Ase, Kelail and Shanyla.

"You wanna play with the big girls Blondie," said Kelail pushing Ase back with her _Gravity Magic_.

"Sounds good to me, bring it!" said Ase, swinging a fist water.

However, Kelail use magic in order to dodge Ase's attack. Then they looked up and saw Shanyla swimming above them with water swearing around her fists.

"Ignore me and you wind up on your butts!" she yelled.

"Go get them!" Merrill cheered.

Hiccup frowned. "Haven't seen much of Minerva."

Astrid nodded. "You're right, she hasn't moved an inch."

Minerva indeed was standing in the same place since the very start of the Game.

"What is she waiting for?" Ragnar frowned.

Ruby and Heather was still facing each other it was unclear to say which one was winning.

"It's time for me to stop pulling my punches," said Heather. "I'll take all of you out in one fell swoop! With this!" She then extended her hands as water began to swirl around. "My newest and most powerful technique! Unleashed by my _Second Origin_! _Water Whirlpool!_ "

Then suddenly forming around her was a very vicious whirlpool that sucked in Ase, Kelail and Shanyla in its powerful vortex. The three girls then were launched out of the pool and a split second. Ase hit the ground first followed by Shanyla and Kelail.

However, Minerva use magic in a way that caused the whirlpool to miss her entirely. Aries was creating a wool shield to block off the attack while Ruby wrapped her arms around her and Virgo wrapped her arms behind her.

"I don't think my _Wool Wall_ can take much more this," said Aries.

"Mistress, hold on tight," said Virgo.

"Look at her go," said Agnar at the whirlpool began to dispel. "Heather has pushed three opponents out simultaneously! If she keeps this up, she is sure to be _Queen of the Naval Battle_!"

"Ah, man," Shanyla groaned. "I thought I could hold my own in a water fight instead I ended up all wet."

"It's fine!" said Merrill encouragingly. "You did your best!"

Heather looked at both Ruby and Minerva impress at the two of them were able to withstand her attack.

' _I didn't expect this many distil be in the game_ ,' she frowned. ' _Okay, I need to be careful around Minerva I don't know what she is capable of_.'

Then a split second later she found herself outside the pool much to her bewilderment.

"What the?" she stared as she fell to the ground.

"Heather!" Ruby gasped.

"After a valiant fought battle Heather and outside the ring," said Agnar. "She finishes in third place and scores six points her team."

"What happened?" Eret frowned.

"I'm not sure," said Agatha.

"I think I know," said Valka looking at Minerva. "It was her."

It was in fact Minerva whose hands were glowing as she somehow managed to transport Heather outside the ring.

"Milady sure is mischievous," Sting smirked. "She could have one right from the start, but she let them take each other out so that she could conserve her magic."

"That _Dragon Tail_ girl doesn't stand a chance," said Hookfang with boundless confidence.

However Rogue remained completely silent.

Now it was just a fight between Ruby and Minerva in the special rule was about to taken into effect.

"Only Minerva and Ruby remain, but where did Ruby _Celestial Spirits_ got too?" said Agnar noting that both Aries and Virgo had disappeared.

"I'm assuming she sent them away to preserve her magic power," Johann assumed.

"It's one-on-one! Will _Sabretooth_ take the gold or will _Dragon Tail_ snatch it away?" Agnar pondered.

Soon an hourglass appeared at the time appeared above it and started a countdown.

"The Five-Minute Rule is now in effect, if either contestant exits the ring before the time runs out they will be ranked in last place," Agnar explained.

"Is there a reason for this special rule?" Johann wondered.

"It gave the audience on the edge of their seats, I say that's reason enough," said King Barkel.

Minerva smirked at Ruby. "End of the line. I can send you flying out of this ring in the time it takes to blink, other people came for a show and I intend to deliver," she said as he outstretched her arm. "Try and survive and be sure to scream."

Her hand then began to glow and then Ruby saw something glowing next to her.

"What in the name of Thor?" she stared.

A split second later there was an explosion and she screamed as he felt herself being burned by scalding hot water.

"Heat? Underwater?" Astrid stared.

Minerva then blasted Ruby again and she screamed even louder.

"Ruby, no!" Hiccup cried.

"I've never seen that kind of magic before," said Ragnar fearfully.

Minerva continued to blast Ruby again and again until she finally stopped. It took a moment Ruby to catch a breath and to see straight.

"I feel so heavy," she said weakly. "Like I'm made out of lead. I need to get a spirit out here pronto." She then reached for her keys and stared in horror as she found that both her keys and _Fleuve d'étoiles_ were gone. "My keys where did they go?"

She looked up into, found that Minerva had somehow grabbed a belt that contained both keys and her _Fleuve d'étoiles_.

"No way," she gasped.

Minerva's hand began to glow once again and Ruby was blast by another scalding explosion that sent flying through the water. She was heading straight towards the edge of the pool.

"Oh no! Ruby is heading straight for the barrier and entering into last place!" Agnar panicked.

Thankfully, Ruby was able to stop herself just that have backed reached the barrier. Fortunately, the rules state that her entire body had to hit the ground below for her to be out.

"Ah," said Minerva as if speaking to a child.

Hand then glowed once again and this time the blast hit Ruby from her back sending her flying forward.

"What's with this heat?" Ruby groaned. "It's scorching me."

"Come on," said Toothless worriedly.

"If she can't get her keys back this fight is over," said Stormfly.

Ruby was still able to move as she floated towards Minerva. ' _I can stand it_.'

The time told everyone that there was only three minutes and 15 seconds left into the special rule was no null in void.

"Hit me with your best shot!" Ruby challenge.

Minerva then blasted Ruby with a double onslaught, but miraculously Ruby remains strong and defiant. However, the way she was clutching her body indicating that she was badly wounded and probably one survived much more.

"I'll keep fighting!" she yelled.

Now there was one minute and five seconds remaining Minerva just continued floating in the water holding Ruby's equipment. She had moved an inch since he first entered the pool and she was looking at Ruby with intrigue.

"Oh really? You're sure you don't want out of this torment? she said.

"You want me to give up? Not happening!" she said defiantly.

Minerva raise an eyebrow.

"If I quit after my friends bought so hard, it would be worth the betrayal!" Ruby spat as you remember the sacrifices that her team had made. "I won't do it! Hurt me all you want, I don't give a damn! I'll win, my Guild will be number one again!"

Minerva just floated there expression unreadable. There was only 30 seconds left on the clock, but Minerva just floated there doing nothing and Ruby too injured to do much floated as well.

"Whoa, they're just floating there," Agnar frowned. "Minerva has stopped her relentless attacks, but she was so close to victory?"

The time then reached zero indicating the end of the special rule.

"The time is up!" Agnar announced.

"Yes," Hiccup smiled.

"Now it's simply a battle for the top spot," said Agnar.

A sinister look then appeared on Minerva's face as he raised her hand which began to glow. She then thrusted it forward sending a powerful explosion Ruby's way. Ruby screams could be heard as this one was more powerful than the previous ones.

"Ruby!" Hiccup called.

Minerva keep on sending explosion after explosion at Ruby relentlessly. "You haven't learned your place have you? Maybe this will teach you who you're dealing with! We are _Sabretooth_ , the mightiest Guild beneath the heavens! You belong on the ground!"

Then a powerful blast at the face on Ruby flying towards the edge of the pool barely conscious.

"There's no way Ruby can recover from that," said Agnar. Suddenly there was a bright light and Ruby vanished into thin air. "Where did she go?"

Ruby then appeared in front of Minerva, who then dealt a powerful kick at her back.

"She just reappeared in front of Minerva!" Agnar yelled in a panic voice. "But what her doing all opponents?"

"That girl is fighting dirty!" Ingrid roared.

Fishlegs frowned. "Why would she stopped herself from winning?"

"This is just sick," said Agatha disgusted.

Eret agreed. "All she's doing is torturing her."

Eret was right, Minerva kept on dealing blow after blow upon Ruby not giving her a break to counter or recover.

"Ruby is getting pummelled, even with our magic Minerva is decimating her with blow after blow!" Agnar yelled.

King Barkel was completely disgusted by this display. "This entire thing is a dreadful display of brutality! This disgusted would be an understatement!"

"Since the match is underwater there are no knockdowns," said Agnar as Minerva continue to pummel Ruby. "All Ruby can do is take the relentless barrage."

"Stop the match at once!" Hiccup roared.

Sabretooth merely smirked from the stands and Hiccup, Astrid and Ragnar looked at them with disdain.

"You guys are going to pay for this!" they said giving them the most terrifying death glare imaginable.

"Have you learned your lesson or should I keep beating it in?" Minerva asked cruelly. "I'm fine with that. Remember this the next time you think of defying me!"

King Macario immediately got his feet and looked at Throk. "Captain, end the match at once!" he commanded.

Throk looked from the podium. "His Majesty has ordered the match to end!" he yelled. He then said to himself, ' _We can't lose the Celestial Viking either_.' He looked down the referee. "Call it off immediately!"

Mindor immediately rated hand to signal the end of the match and the horn blew.

"The referee has stopped the fight! The Naval Battle is over!" Agnar announced. " _Sabretooth_ takes first place with an overwhelming show of brutal force!"

Minerva then pushed Ruby through the pool clutching her head. Ruby was badly bruised, barely breathing and not moving at all.

"He doesn't look like Ruby is moving," said Agnar panic stricken. "Can we please get the paramedics on the field!"

"Ruby?" Hiccup's team cried they jumped over the stands and into the arena.

The members of team _Dragon Tail_ just looked in horror barely able to speak a word as were the other competitors.


	47. A Parfum for You

Hiccup's team were on the arena and rushing towards Ruby as quickly as they could as Minerva was still clutching her head out of the pool.

"Ruby!" they cried.

Minerva then released Ruby and she felt like a ragdoll to the ground. Fortunately, Hiccup and Ragnar were able to capture before she hit the dirt. They immediately laid her down on the ground carefully and saw that she was barely breathing.

"Come on, Ruby please say something," said Ragnar frantically.

Hiccup glared up at Minerva. "What's your problem? You went way too far!"

Throk was mobilising his men. "Take the Celestial Viking to the infirmary at once!"

Merrill was rushing over towards Ruby frantically. "Hold on, I need to give her some emergency special treatment!"

"I'll help you!" Shanyla cried rushing over.

"Just hang in there Ruby!" Heather cried as she joined them.

Astrid soon joined Hiccup and Ragnar and glared at Minerva who was sliding down the water sphere and landed on the ground gently.

"What a scornful expression," she said as if she had done nothing wrong.

"Here we go," said Merrill as he extended her hand forward.

"She's hurt pretty bad so let's combine our powers," said Shanyla doing the same.

Immediately the two girls use the _Healing Magic_ upon Ruby, who was shaking badly. Within a few seconds she seemed to relax, but that didn't stop the rest of her team glaring at Minerva.

"You can glared at me all you want if it makes you feel better," said Minerva dismissively. "But remember I acted in full compliance with the walls of the competition."

"That may be true, but went outside the bounds of basic human decency," Astrid snarled.

Minerva giggled. "I was simply trying to entertain the crowd, that's all." Astrid narrowed her eyes, but Minerva remains calm. "To be quite honest you should be thanking me, she got second place didn't she? She could never have done that without my help."

"What?" Hiccup glared.

Immediately the rest of the _Sabretooth Team_ had entered the arena and joined Minerva. Soon there was a massive stand-off between the two teams and tensions rose as they glared at one another.

"What is going on down there?" Agnar cried. "Both teams are on the ground and ready to rumble."

The entire crowd cheered, no doubt unaware of the implications of this conflict.

"This is awesome!"

"Bonus round action!"

" _Sabretooth_ versus _Dragon Tail_!"

"They're both hot tempered Guilds, but they need to play it cool right now," said Johann.

"You can certainly feel the tension in the air against these two Guilds," said King Barkel.

"Yeah, well I guess we should have seen this one coming from a mile away," said Hookfang.

"It was bound to happen all right," Skull agreed.

"Since this isn't a part of the contest we should be ready to go down there and lend them a hand," said Skullcrusher.

"You got it," Toothless nodded.

"They crossed the line this time," said Cloudjumper.

"With you Tomcats please calm down," Stormfly scolded.

Bacchus whistled. "This battle seems tasty."

Camicazi remain completely silent.

"This is getting out of hand," Mindor looking concerned.

"Do we join them?" Agatha asked looking at her team.

"We might not have a choice in the matter," said Valka grimly.

 _Blue Pegasus_ was watching with great interest.

Hiccup, Astrid and Ragnar glared at the _Sabretooth_ team while they looked at them with gleeful expressions.

The entire crowd began to clap their hands in rhythm they cried, "Fight! Fight! Fight!" over and over again. The guards and joined Merrill and Shanyla as the two girls began to stabilise Ruby.

Stoick expression was unreadable as he looked down into the arena as was _Sabretooth's_ master Jiemma, as he sat among the crowd.

Hiccup then stepped forward and looked at _Sabretooth_. "Although you may be considered the strongest Guild in Septem, you'd be wise to heed this warning," he said looking at them firmly. "Listen carefully, making an enemy of _Dragon Tail_ will be the biggest mistake of your lives! If you attack one of us you attack all of us, that is our creed!

Sting merely smiled at him.

* * *

Once everything was cooled down the announcers then diverted everyone's attention onto the scoreboard.

1st Sabretooth: 44P

2th Dragon Tail B: 36P

3nd Valkyrie's Sword: 35P

3rd Thor's Hammer: 35P

3th Dragon Tail A: 35P

6th Blue Pegasus: 20P

7th Blazing Puppy: 15p

"Well, ladies and gentlemen factor that were from _Sabretooth_ they now are in the lead with 44 points and moving up to 2nd place is Dragon Team B with 36 points." Behind them is a three way fight for 3rd place between _Valkyrie's Sword_ , _Thor's Hammer_ and _Dragon Tail Team A_ all with 35 points. And way behind is Blue Pegasus with 20 points and Blazing Puppy with 15."

"Things are certainly heating up especially with the tension between _Dragon Tail_ and _Sabretooth_ ," said Johann.

"Then you folks better stay tune, because things are starting to heat up!"

* * *

Hiccup's team then took Ruby to the infirmary after being stabilised by both Merrill and Shanyla. Gothi was tending to Ruby the best he could though the wounds were still quite terrible.

"She's going to be okay, isn't she?" Toothless asked.

Everyone just remain silent.

Then the door opened and they saw Alvin's team entering the infirmary.

"Any word on Ruby's condition?" Heather asked.

"Is she awake?" Valka asked.

"You guys came," said Ragnar surprised.

"We may be different teams, but were all in the same Guild," said Agatha simply.

"So how is she?" Eret asked.

"She's not out of the woods yet," said Gothi gravely. "But she will pull through thanks to Merrill."

"No, it wasn't just me. We're lucky that Shanyla was there to help out too," said Merrill.

"That's a relief," said Valka.

"I'm glad she hasn't sustained any permanent damage," said Astrid thankfully.

"I had a feeling that she was ruthless, but even I imagine this," said Hiccup grimly. "I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

"What you say we go and knock that tree down," said Alvin.

Ruby then began to stir.

"She's awake!" Toothless announced.

Ruby then opened her eyes and saw everyone smiling at her. "You guys, I'm sorry," she said sadly.

"What? Why are you apologising?" Hiccup blinked.

Ruby then hid her face under the sheet. "Because I screwed up again."

"Are you kidding? Second place is nothing to be sorry about," Ragnar pointed out.

"We got eight points in that round," Merrill reminded.

Astrid nodded. "Yes, good job."

Ruby looked at them still hiding her face. "But I… I lost my keys."

"I've got them right here," said Toothless holding out Ruby's key case.

"That's a relief," said Ruby hugging them close to her chest. "Thank you, Toothless."

She then fell unconscious.

"I think she's going to be okay," said Valka positively.

"But we still can't let those guys get away with this kind of crap," said Agatha fiercely.

"I feel the exact same way," said Ragnar.

"Bunch of jerks," Eret grumbled.

The door then opened again and this time Stoick entered.

"Master?" Agatha blinked.

"Unfortunate circumstances, but I'm glad both teams are here," he said. "I have something to tell you." Everyone looked towards him and remain silent. "I was just contacted by the Games organisers. Though I'm not sure whether it can be a help or hindrance to us, we've been asked to consolidate our two teams into one."

"What?" Alvin stared.

"So we've got to be like everyone else now, huh?" said Hiccup not looking entirely surprised.

Valka looked at her husband. "Any reason why they asked us to do this this late in the game?"

"Since _Raven Tail_ has been disqualified there are now seven teams remaining," Stoick explained. "Having an odd number makes it difficult to match up competitors for the battles. Therefore we do not do away with the A and B groups and form a single five person team for the rest of the tournament."

"So we're losing five members," said Astrid folding her arms.

"But how will this affect scores?" Stormfly asked.

"Were only allowed to keep the lower one and that would be the 35 points from Team A," Stoick explained.

"But that's totally unfair," Toothless complained.

"There are not the decision has been made so we better accepted," said Astrid.

"Look on the bright side, this just means we'll be able to put together a more kickass team," Agatha pointed out.

"Well, I wish this would have happened a little bit earlier, because the only thing we have now left of the two-man battles, right?" said Ragnar.

Gothi shook her head. "You're wrong, traditionally there is a mandatory day off, followed by a battle involving all members. It is important that you choose carefully."

"No matter what happens, we need to show _Sabretooth_ that they cannot get away with this behaviour," said Hiccup strongly as he rose to his feet. "It's time that I showed Sting the true power of the Guild!"

* * *

Later that day, everyone waited with anxiety as the tag team battles were about to start. Plus they were also excited to see which members were selected for the new team _Dragon Tail_.

"Day Four's battle round is about to get underway," said Agnar to the crowd. "And we will soon find out who made the cut on team _Dragon Tail_." He then looked at Johann. "You have a long history with the Guild, Mr Johhann. Got any predictions for the final five?"

"No comment," Johann smiled.

"And once again joining us is that Dwarven King, King Barkel!" Agnar announced.

"I am honoured to be here," said King Barkel respectfully. "I look forward to seeing these battles."

"Don't forget that these battles involve magic, not magical items," Johann reminded.

"That may be true, but the young Viking still have to show the same fighting spirit as my warriors," said King Barkel.

"Let's get down to business and announced the line-ups for today's days battles," said Agnar. "Now please turn your attention to the Lacrmia tron! Match one will be _Blue Pegasus_ versus the frisky _Blazing Puppy_."

Everyone watched as the two guilds emerged onto the arena. Cavin was still heavily bandaged from his fight with Ilos and Bacchus' hands was still bandaged after his battle with Snotlout.

"Then on to round two of the ladies of _Valkyrie's Sword_ facing off against _Thor's Hammer_!" Agnar continued.

The two teams then emerge onto the field feeling very confident about themselves.

"And then what will be today's highlight _Sabretooth_ against the new _Dragon Tail_ ," said Agnar.

 _Sabretooth_ emerged into the arena and everyone in the crowd then cheered like there was no tomorrow.

"So put your hands together for a Crocus welcome and let's meet the _Dragon Tail Team_!"

Walking in the shadows of the hallway with the new _Dragon Tail_ team and the crowd waited anxiously to see them. As they walked down the members that live in the infirmary or in the stands cheering them on.

"Go get them guys for me," said Ruby, who lay peacefully in her bed.

"We're all counting on you," said Snotlout, still covered in bandages.

"Stoick really did put together an amazing team," said Valka as he joined the rest of the Guild in the stands.

"Show them what you're made of!" Merrill cheered, who remained in the infirmary to keep Ruby and Snotlout company.

"Bring home a win," Stormfly added to keep Merrill company.

"It's just like I saying before," Agatha smiled in the stands.

Alvin folded his arms. "This team will surely get us back to number one again."

"The spirit of our Guild is truly an unstoppable force and these five kids in body that spirit wholeheartedly," said Stoick.

"It's time to show the entire world the real power our friendship surely means," said Hiccup the First.

The entire crowd cheered as the new team _Dragon Tail_ entered into the arena.

"We've been waiting for this moment!" Agnar yelled trying to make his voice heard through the crowd. "It's my pleasure to introduce… the _Team Dragon Tail_!"

 _Team Dragon Tail_ consisted of Hiccup, Astrid, Ragnar, Eret and finally Heather. Stoick didn't choose them because of the overall strength, but because they embody the soul of the Guild and knew that they would fight harder than anyone to defend it. Judging from the cries from the crowd they loved the new team as well as they all waved flags bearing the _Dragon Tail_ emblem.

 _Sabretooth_ looked at the new team and you definitely feel the tension in the air as both groups sized each other up. It wasn't just them, but the other competitors were looking at the new team _Dragon Tail_ all them eager to show them their metal as well.

Amongst the crowd watching intently were Jellal, Alistair and Alron though their expressions were very hard to read, but you could tell that they were too were looking forward to see them in action.

"With that kind of entrance I'm not sure the audience will be able to handle the anticipation leading up to today's final match," said Agnar looking at his fellow announcers.

"The fans are looking forward to it that's for sure," Johann agreed.

King Barkel merely chuckled. "I would be surprised if there wasn't one person in the audience who wasn't looking forward to this."

* * *

From the Royal Box Throk and Darton were watching making sure they were out of earshot from the King.

"The _Celestial Viking_ is and with them?" said Darton.

"I would assume that she is still recovering," Throk assumed.

Darton quickly turned on him. "Listen, you better not try anything as foolish as last time."

"Perish the thought," said Throk dismissively. "I will be the first to admit that was a misstep. I intend to take more reliable measures from here on out. From now let us enjoy the festival, the project will commence in three days time."

"That damned Eclipse," Darton mumbled.

"And then the world will be forever changed," said Throk.

"Is there no way we can put a stop to it?"

"We can't let Drago wait much longer can we?"

* * *

 _Dragon Tail_ and _Sabretooth_ were looking at one another in utter silence.

"We'll meet you in the arena," said Hiccup finally with a fiery aura covered his body.

"Count on it," Sting smirked as a bright light covered his body.

* * *

Darton was wondering through the corridors very concerned about the Eclipse Project.

' _The Grand Magic Games_ ,' he said to himself as he approached a mosaic which had a picture of an incredibly large dragon breathing fire down on an ancient human city as the picture of a man withstanding the flames the dragon was unleashing. ' _Those that know history know that long ago they went by another name… the Dragon King Festival. A feast of dragons, men and sorcery_.'

The man defending against the dragon was actually an elf and resembled Hiccup.

* * *

Meanwhile the first battle the day was about to begin.

"All right, people. Are you ready for a magic battle?" Agnar cried out.

The crowd chanted by cheering as loudly as they could.

"First up _Blue Pegasus'_ Olatrand and Rabbit versus _Blazing Puppy's_ Bacchus and Thuggory!" Agnar announced.

Soon before competitors made their way to the centre of the arena and looked at one another. Whoever was in the rabbit suit still refused to show their face.

Bacchus merely hiccupped, but Thuggory was determined to redeem himself.

"You better watch out, because were about to take you down," said Thuggory threateningly. He then looked at Bacchus. "Now let's show these fancy boys what we can really do. Plus we need to get some points."

"It's cool," said Bacchus confidently. "All I want is to get my spirt shaking and stirred."

Then the two of them saw both Olatrand and Rabbit holding out their hands.

"Sirs," said Olatrand.

Slightly taken aback, the two of them shook hands with their opponents.

"Wow, after all the animosity of today's _Naval Battle_ these fine gentlemen are putting some humility on display," said Agnar.

"Now that is what I like to see, respect for one's opponents," King Barkel smiled.

Bacchus and Thuggory just watched dumbfounded as their opponents positioned themselves on the arena.

"Did I just shake hands with a bunny?" Thuggory blinked.

"You know that guy smells pretty damn good," said Bacchus looking at his hand.

"Now," Olatrand began talking to Rabbit. "The time has come to share your handsome face to the world."

Rabbit nodded.

"Seriously?" said Skullcrusher.

"We're finally going to find out who he is," said Toothless.

"About time," Cloudjumper mumbled.

Everyone waited for anticipation there are many rumours who Rabbit truly was, many believe that it was a member of another Guild, some even believe that whoever it was neither human nor elf or even dwarf.

Rabbit reached for his rabbit head and began to pull it off slowly.

"It's so strange," said Feralan to the others. "But all the suspense is killing me. Who is in there?"

Arvin however was more preoccupied with kissing Ase much to Feralan's annoyance.

"Will you two stop for just a sec!" he roared.

Cavin agreed. "Olatrand is about to show us who's in the bunny suit."

"Obscure yourself no more," said Olatrand dramatically. "Ask your true glory!"

The rabbit head was then slowly pulled off and they finally saw who was behind it. There was one thing the rumours were correct in saying that he was neither human, elf nor dwarf, he was in Exceed. And not any Exceed, it was none other than Solatrant the former captain of Extalia's Royal Guard and Olatrand's twin.

Everyone just stared in bewilderment, because apart from the _Dragon Tail_ Vikings then made it to Edolas they had never seen or understood the similarities between him and Olatrand. Then Solatrand discarded the rest of his costume and jumped with Olatrand into the air posing as they did.

"Wait a minute, we've seen him before," Hiccup stared.

"Yeah, he's an Exceed from Extalia," Ragnar gasped.

"Ready, _Double Star Muffin Attack_!" they said in unison posing as they land on the ground.

The crowd weren't completely impressed and was slightly disgusted.

"What is that?" a member of the order moaned.

"It's Solatrant," Skullcrusher gasped.

"You mean he was in the rabbit suit all this time?" Cloudjumper stared.

"Gotta admit I wasn't expecting that," said Toothless.

"Sensational…" Olatrand began.

"Yet deadly parfum," Solatrand finished.

Even the remembers of _Blue Pegasus_ was slightly disturbed.

"Great, now there's two of them," Astrid groaned. "I don't feel so good."

She then toppled over, but Eret caught her in time. "Hey, pull it together!"

"You cannot be serious!" Thuggory yelled angrily. "Is that strange looking cat even a member of _Blue Pegasus_?"

Olatrand chuckled. "Behold!"

Solatrand removed his shirt to reveal his _Blue Pegasus_ emblem on his back.

" _Dragon Tail_ have their own cats, I didn't see any harm in allowing one to join our Guild," said Humungously. "Besides, Olatrand vouched for him and that was all the approval I needed."

"Hang on? How did _Blue Pegasus_ and find him in the first place?" Toothless asked.

Olatrand smiled. "It was a stroke of true destiny, a fate written in the stars themselves."

"Yes," Solatrand agreed. "Though it happened on one sunny afternoon."

"With an intoxicating parfum of new experience hanging in the heavenly air. I ventured into the forest, I went in deep, but my search remained fruitless. I asked myself this same question, 'Is this parfum of lost souls, man!'"

"I attempted to leave, but I found myself getting even deeper inside. I was so fussy that I collapsed to the ground. But fortune smiled on me that day as it turned out this forest was home to Exceeds who had come to Midgard.

"And that is where I met this handsome individual and discovered that we were very much alike. So began the start of a classic romantic drama. My nostrils steamed with the scent of flowery friendship and thus as I predicted the seed planted that they blossom to a beautiful pairing."

"And we drink deeply the parfum of memory," said Solatrand.

Unfortunately there were so busy marking they did not hear the horn blew and immediately Bacchus made his move. Bacchus lifted his palm and Solatrand slowly and gracefully raised his paw only for him to be knocked backwards by Bacchus powerful palm.

"No!" Olatrand cried.

The other members of _Blue Pegasus_ watched in horror as Solatrand crashed to the ground.

"What happened?" Feralan stared. "Can the cat even fight?"

Olatrand then turned round confidently towards Solatrand, who landed on the ground. "Of course he can! The feline and I are one and the same! With which means, we should both share the same abilities!"

Sadly, Olatrand theory was wrong as Solatrand immediately fell unconscious.

"These conflict commission!" Feralan yelled.

To say that Olatrand was upset would have been an understatement. "What a tragedy!" he cried.

Naturally this turned into _Blazing Puppy's_ favour as both Bacchus and Thuggory smiled evilly.

"Let's get this over with," said Bacchus.

"This victory couldn't have come at a better time, we've got to get some points on the board," said Thuggory.

"It looks like it rabbit season here in the Coliseum!" Agnar announced.

"It's two against one now," said Johann.

"He probably should have checked his partners abilities before entering the tournament," said King Barkel. "That miscalculation could cost him dearly."

Olatrand soon found himself completely surrounded by his two opponents and they certainly weren't the type to hold back.

"Please, hold on just one moment!" Olatrand pleaded.

Then Thuggory shot off like a rocket straight towards Olatrand. It turned out that he had somehow managed to spin his legs so fast that it propelled him forwards and they took the shape of a drill.

" _Rocket Kick!_ " he yelled and slammed a powerful literally spinning kick straight at him.

" _Drunken Chop Hanging Palm!_ " Bacchus cried as he struck him with his iron like palms sending him flying into the air.

"Olatrand," said Solatrand weakly.

As he flew Olatrand looked at him. "Olatrand," he breathed.

Then Bacchus and Thuggory charged towards him once again.

"Last call, fancy boy!" Bacchus cried.

"Time to eat some dirt!" Thuggory smirked.

' _I'm sorry I dragged into this battle, my mistake. I should know that you are a lover not a fighter_ ,' said Olatrand to himself.

Thuggory's hand was now spinning like there was no tomorrow. " _Rocket Punch!_ "

He then slammed his fist directly into Olatrand sending him flying even further.

' _And yet you chose the noble path and for bravery_ ,' said Olatrand to himself as Bacchus struck him with a palm of his hands. ' _You put your handsome face in harm's way._ ' Thuggory then struck again with a rocket punch. ' _I felt my most handsome friend!_ " Bacchus then struck again with a palm of his hands. ' _How could I let you fall?_ '

Bacchus had struck Olatrand so hard that he landed on the ground hard and it looked as if _Blazing Puppy_ had won the first battle in the games.

"Is that it? Did Bacchus deal the final blow?" Agnar asked as Olatrand skidded towards Solatrand. "Now Olatrand joins his fury teammate on the floor of the arena and it's not looking good for _Blue Pegasus_."

"Finally, we won a battle," said Thuggory.

"It's about time," Bacchus agreed.

Their teammates cheered from the stands.

"Wait!" Agnar cried and they stopped cheering. "It's not over yet!" Agnar was right Olatrand was pulling himself slowly back to his feet. "Olatrand appear to be getting up. Will he be able to stand?"

Olatrand looked at Solatrand. ' _I swear to you, I won't let your struggle be in vain. I will reveal the true face of justice!_ '

Then suddenly he light emanated from his body and shown across the entire arena. Then suddenly he began to grow as his muscles expanded ripping through his clothing.

" _Muscle Muscle Man! Man Man Muscle! Muscle Man Man!_ " he roared until finally it was a 7 foot giant with muscles that rivalled Stoick's wearing only his ruined trouser that had now become shorts.

"What in the name of Thor is this? How did he get so big?" Bacchus stared.

"He's used his _Power Parfum_ ," said Thuggory gravely.

"To my dear friend, I dedicate the Parfum of Victory!" Olatrand roared across the Colosseum as he sparkled in a golden light.

"Get him!" his teammates cried.

Olatrand then started to make his way towards Bacchus and Thuggory, whose easy victory diminished almost instantly. Despite this turn of events, neither one of them was going to back down just because a dwarf had a massive growth spurt.

The two of them then jumped into the air and charge straight towards Olatrand.

"Time to put an end to this! _Rocket Demolition!_ " Thuggory yelled as the lower part of his body spun and launched himself directly at Olatrand.

"My soul is shaken and stirred! _Drunken Chop Hanging Palm!_ " Bacchus yelled swinging his palms with immense force.

"Give it your all, but your attack will melt against my beautiful dreamer!" Olatrand roared. He then did the most disturbing thing imaginable, he gave the girly smile. " _Smile!_ "

That stopped both Bacchus and Thuggory in their tracks and Olatrand took full advantage of this.

" _And Smash!_ " he roared dealing them the most powerful punch imaginable.

He had so hard that they were sent flying to the opposite end of the arena and knocked them out cold. The entire audience was in shock from the smile, but it was nothing compared to the shop that the rest of _Blazing Puppy_ was witnessing, because the fourth time in a row they had been utterly defeated in the battle round.

"And from that devastating turn of events, _Blazing Puppy_ is down! The winner is _Blue Pegasus_!" Agnar called.

Olatrand then began throwing kisses all across the arena.

Astrid stared at him. "He actually took down Bacchus?"

"Him and his buddy," said Eret.

"I thought he was done for," Heather stared.

"I guess he is not just an idiot," said Ragnar folding his arms.

"Talk about a come from the behind victory," said Hiccup.

"Talk about a Stunt Muffin," said Feralan shaking his head. "He rules."

"Olatrand is the man for sure," Arvin nodded.

"What a hunk," said Ase dreamily.

"I want to be just like him!" Cavin smiled from behind his bandages.

Olatrand then picked up Solatrand.

"Are you all right, my friend?" he asked.

"Man, my pride hurts," said Solatrand weakly.

"That was an amazing match don't you think?" Agnar asked the other announcers.

"It certainly was emotional," Johann shrugged.

"Indeed, there is nothing like avenging a fallen comrade," King Barkel agreed.

"And with that we move straight at around two," said Agnar. "Which pits _Thor's Hammer's_ Lyon and Veger against _Valkyrie's Sword's_ top dog Camicazi and top cat Neria!"

"Lyon and Camicazi are fighting, this will be an interesting fight," said Hiccup.

Then he looked at the stands with _Sabretooth_ resided and saw that Sting and Rogue were looking straight down at him. He then felt some rage entering into his body as he knew that they were soon going to fight.


	48. Battle of Dragon Slayers!

The crowd was cheering within the Coliseum, but in the infirmary Ruby was still recovering. Her eyes finally opened and she saw Merrill and Stormfly looking down at her.

"You finally awake," said Merrill looking relieved. "We were starting to get worried."

"I'm fine," she said weakly. She then looked at them curiously. "What match are they on?"

"As far as I can tell they're in-between matches," said Merrill. "And it sounds like _Blue Pegasus_ won."

"The second round to be starting any minute," said Stormfly informative. " _Thor's Hammer_ is going up against _Valkyrie's Sword_."

"Good," said Ruby. "I was worried that I was going to miss Hiccup's fight."

"There's no need to worry, he said he was going to make sure that he was going to check on you before he goes in," Merrill smiled.

"Until then, why don't you try and get some rest," said Stormfly pulling the covers towards Ruby's neck. "You just focus on getting your strength back. We'll wake you when he gets here."

Ruby smiled at her. "You're the best. Thank you, Stormfly."

* * *

Meanwhile at the Coliseum itself the second match was about to begin much to the excitement of the audience.

"All right, it's time for the second match!" Agnar announced. "Let's hear it for _Thor's Hammer_ Lyon and Veger!" The crowd cheered as the two of them made their way into the arena. "And here come the lovely ladies of _Valkyrie's Sword_ , give it up for Camicazi and Neria!"

The two lovely ladies then made their way onto the arena and the crowd cheered even louder.

"So who do you think, Mr Johann?" said Agnar looking at Johann. "Who do you think is gonna come on top?"

"Honestly, this could go either way," said Johann honestly. "I can assure you that it's going to be an exciting match."

"Lyon and Veger are powerful individuals, stay focused okay Neria!" Astrid called from the stands.

Eret chuckled. "Well, you're rooting for _Valkyrie's Sword_ now are you?"

"Yeah, I've known Neria for a long time. I consider her a friend," Astrid smiled as she folded her arms. "Can you blame me for supporting her?"

Hiccup looked at Ragnar. "What about you? Lyon is about to go into battle for _Thor's Hammer_?" He reminded. "Don't you want to help him out a little?"

Ragnar was leaning against the entrance not interested with a fight. "Why should I?" he said coldly. "Doesn't make sense to help another Guild, not when our teams are rivals."

"I agree," said Heather, who wasn't paying much attention either.

"Plus he's been putting a wrench between the two of you," Astrid added.

Both Ragnar and Heather then turned on her. "That's got nothing to do with it!" they said at the same time.

Immediately they blushed and quickly looked away from one another.

Astrid then looked at Hiccup, who was looking quite solemn.

"What's up with you?" she frowned.

"Now it's just that Ruby, Snotlout and the others are missing the action," said Hiccup. "I've got a pretty good feeling that they would have loved to see this."

Astrid nodded as she looked down into the arena. "I suppose the only thing we can do is tell them about it."

"I guess so," Hiccup shrugged.

* * *

Meanwhile in the stands _Dragon Tail_ was taken a bit of interest themselves.

Toothless looked at Fishlegs. "I think I'm gonna cheer on _Valkyrie's Sword_. I have a soft spot for Neria."

"Isn't she the cat fanatic that kidnapped you?" Fishlegs frowned.

"That was seven years ago and I'm not holding it against," said Toothless dismissively.

"Well I'm going to be cheering for _Thor's Hammer_!" said Fishlegs. "It's the least I can do at all the help they gave us."

"Now that's what I like to hear," Gobber chuckled. "Though sadly not everyone is on the same grounds as you."

He then gestured to Spitelout and practically all the male members of the Guild, who was staring down at _Valkyrie's Sword_.

"We're rooting for _Valkyrie's Sword_ because the hot," said Spitelout.

"Typical guys," said Agatha shaking her head. She then looked at the girls. "Do you think that was going to cheer for Lyon?"

"Doubtful," said Valka. "Lyon made the craziest wager with Ragnar. Apparently if _Thor's Hammer_ wins she joins their Guild and if our Guild wins they'll give her back."

Fishlegs frowned. "Which is already a member of our Guild?"

"Ragnar is of the same thing, but I think logic was lost on Lyon," Valka sighed.

"I think she'll be more focused cuddling up to Ragnar," Ruffnut snickered.

"Surprise that neither one of them has made a move," said Helga.

"Yeah, they clearly like each other," Ingrid agreed.

"And how well has that worked out for you guys?" Agatha asked raising an eyebrow.

Immediately both Helga and Ingrid went quiet.

"We're getting close," said Stoick folding his arms. "Only one more match until _Dragon Tail_ finally goes head-to-head with _Sabretooth_."

"I'm not too worried," said Hiccup the First. "I have faith in them."

"Let's hope, because of a lose that match we'll have a hard time catching up during the battle royale," said Alvin grimly.

* * *

Soon both teams were on the field and were sizing each other up. Neria however was more concerned on the crowd rather than on their opponents.

' _It's crazy to think that Jellal could be out there somewhere_ ,' she frowned. ' _Sitting in the stands watching us fight._ '

"Neria," said Camicazi's voice bringing her out of her thoughts and she looked at her. "You need to focus."

"Okay," Neria nodded. "I swear I will."

Camicazi frowned slightly. "Tell you what? I'm going to let you take a shot at them first." She then turned around and walked off. "I'll be standing around if you need me."

Neria quickly turned on her. "Hey! Wait, all alone?"

"You need to gain more experience, this is your opportunity to show me what you can do. Do not treat it like a game, it's a serious fight. Don't let me down, Neria."

"I won't," said Neria as she turned to face Lyon and Veger. "I'll beat them. You just watch."

"We can't get lazy just because their girls, you hear?" said Veger to Lyon. "They're tough so we need to give it everything we've got in this battle."

"Especially if we want to beat, Camicazi," Lyon agreed. He then looked up at the Dragon Tail stands and looked at Heather. "That's it, if I claim victory for _Thor's Hammer_ then Heather will fall in love with me."

Veger rolled his eyes. "Oh, geeze. Get your priorities straight, man."

"Hey, boys!" Ursula called from the stands. "You better kick some butt this round or else I'll take you both for a spin!"

"Remember, you've only got 30 minutes to beat your opponents!" Mindor reminded. "Now, let the match begin!"

The horn blew signalling the start of the match.

"If you snooze, you lose!" Neria cried as she took off her cape.

Lyon and Veger looked up as he jumped into the air and out stretched her hands forming a Magic Circle.

" _Bad Kitty Restraint Two!_ " she cried.

She then unleashed a tube at them, but they quickly dodged it.

Lyon then noticed that Camicazi was just standing there and he wasn't the only one who noticed.

"Whoa, is Neria going to fight them all by herself?" Babs blinked.

"I don't think she's ready to take on _Thor's Hammer_ on her own," Athessa frowned.

"Well, Camicazi seems to think that she can handle it," said Kelail as the battle raged on. "Let's just hope she's right."

Bertha looked at her daughter. ' _I still troubled on what you discovered?_ '

Neria was swinging her tube like a whip at Lyon and Veger and were showing no restraint.

"I don't need any help with these guys!" she yelled as she slammed her with down on top of them.

"It's going to be so embarrassing if she beats both of them," said Ashelin.

"We'll be the laughing stock of the tournament," Shanyla groaned.

"I don't know what you're up to _Valkyrie's Sword_ , but we're not allowing you to get away with it!" she yelled as she spun like a top. "Go get them Lyon and Veger! Show those hussies what happens when you mess with _Thor's Hammer_!"

Naturally Lyon and Veger were feeling quite insulted that Camicazi was watching from the sidelines instead of fighting.

"Hey, why is Camicazi just standing there?" Veger asked.

"Good question, bet I can get her to fight," he said placing his hands together. " _Ice-Make: Eagle!_ "

He then unleashed a barrage of frozen eagles directly at Camicazi, but before they could reach her Neria used her tube to smash them to bits.

"I'm your opponent, not her," she said placing herself between them and Camicazi.

" _Wave!_ " Veger yelled firing magic blast that Neria.

However, Neria dodged it quickly and Veger kept on unleashing more magic blast at her. Unfortunately, Neria was gathering across the field like a cat and was dodging each and every one of them and then she jumped into the air.

Veger stared at her. "Holy crap!"

" _Kitten Blaster!_ " Neria yelled.

She then unleashed a spiral tube down at Veger which then began to glow bright pink. However, the attack never came close towards him and nearly blinded him.

"What? That was just a fake out?" Veger stared.

"I've got you now!" Veger yelled.

She then fell through the light, wrapped her legs around his neck and then dealt a flurry of punches at his face.

" _Kitty Punch! Kitty Punch!_ " she yelled repeatedly.

"Man, that's gotta hurt! Who would have thought such a cute girl like that could be so vicious!" Agnar cried.

"He's even more powerful than she was seven years ago," said Toothless.

"She's definitely not pulling back in this fight," Astrid smiled. "She must feel more confident knowing that Camicazi is there if she needs her."

Neria then broke away from her attack on Veger and somersaulted back to that she was in front of him and Lyon.

"What's the matter boys? You're not scared are you?" Neria mocked. "There again maybe you should be, because I've been training with Camicazi daily!"

She then removed her gloves and revealed her razor sharp nails. " _Special Technique!_ " She then charged them before they could blink and scratch them on the faces. " _Kitten Scratch Attack!_ "

Lyon and Veger both winced in pain as the attack left some scratch marks on their faces.

"What's the matter? Did I give you a boo-boo?" she said childishly.

The two of them then glared at her.

"I certainly didn't see this coming," said Agnar. "Neria is actually holding her own against those two and there a couple of _Thor Hammer's_ strongest."

"I think it's those nimble catlike movements of hers," Johann theorised. "The way she bounces around in battle would throw anyone off."

"Stupid cat girl," Veger spat. "I'm going to be about those claws of hers."

"If we want to win this round we'll have to step up our game," said Lyon.

" _Bad Kitty Restraint Two!_ " Neria yelled unleashing another tube at back them.

Veger smiled. "Here we go!"

He then immediately created a barrier and the moment the tube struck it bounced off it.

"It's useless!" Veger smirked as the tube faded away. "My _Waves_ can nullify any magic attack!"

"Oh yeah? Then nullify this!" she yelled unleashed another tube. " _Bad Kitty Restraint Two!_ " It then divided into two. " _Double!_ " He then turned into threes. " _Triple!_ " She then held a fingers as if you lost count. " _Lots of Them!_ "

Now heading straight towards with so many tubes it was impossible to count.

"You can for more than one of them at a time?" Veger stared.

"I can show you just how many of you really want to?" Neria smirked.

Veger quickly created a much larger barrier and the tubes struck it and the moment they did they vanished. However, one of them managed to get around his shield and wrapped around his arm.

" _Ice-Make: Eagle!_ " Lyon yelled creating an ice eagle and sliced through the tube. "She's throwing some more!"

"That's right! Just try and stop me!" Neria yelled unleashing even more tubes.

There were so many that it was impossible for Veger to block them all and soon he and Lyon were doing everything they could to hold the tubes back. However, their efforts were fruitless as the tubes that surround them leaving them suspended in the air with only Lyon's right not bound by them.

"Well boys… are you ready to surrender yet?" Neria smirked.

"Now what do we do?" said Lyon thinking desperately. "At this rate… I'll never be able to impress Heather!"

Veger looked at him blankly. "You've got to be kidding me? Get a grip!"

"It's not over yet," said Lyon raising his free hand. "I've got more than skill, I have intelligence! You may be faster, but I'm much smarter!"

" _Ice-Make: Cat!_ " Lyon yelled.

Suddenly appearing on the field was a kitty cat made of ice.

"Kitty!" Neria cried.

Lyon then made the cat move and she began chasing after it and as a result freed both Lyon and Veger. Neria then stopped when she realised what Lyon had done quickly turned on him.

"That was a dirty trick, Dirt Face!" she cried.

"Talk about playing dirty, how dare he torment Neria like that," Kelail growled.

"Well that Lyon has quite the reputation, he's deviously cunning," Athessa.

Babs just looked at the two of them as he found the ruse very unimpressive. "Uh, don't you think you might be giving him too much credit?"

Bertha folded her arms. "He merely used Neria witness to cats to his advantage. Though it wasn't entirely difficult to figure out."

"Did you say that Heather?" said Lyon looked at the _Dragon Tail_ stands. "We're you impressed by my clever strategy!"

Heather looked entirely disgusted and Lyon's felt crestfallen. ' _That wasn't the reaction that I expected_.'

Astrid looked at Heather. "He's really smitten with you isn't he?"

"For once I wish Snotlout was hitting on me," Heather groaned.

Camicazi just watched. ' _Lyon has a reputation as a skilled Viking, but has yet to land a single attack on Neria_.'

King Macario smiled from his throne. "I knew that _Thor's Hammer_ and _Valkyrie's Sword_ were fierce competitors, but this match is even more exciting than I expected!"

Ursula was beginning to lose patience. "Hey up!" she roared. "Quit dillydallying and finish them off all ready! You had better defeat them or else I'll spin you until you're sick!"

Shanyla looked at her cousin. "What's it like to be spun by the Old Hag?"

"It's one of the worst feelings in the world. It makes you so dizzy that you can't even tell which way is up," said Ashelin looking sick from even thinking about it.

"The Hag's right, we need to hurry," said Veger. "It feels as if we've been fighting them for a while, we're running out of time."

"Well in that case I was saving this one battle against Camicazi, but…" Lyon then places hands together. "Ice-Make: Snow Tiger!"

Suddenly appearing out of nowhere was a vicious-looking tiger made of ice. Neria immediately panicked as the tiger headed straight towards and immediately she made a run for it.

"I like kitty cats, but tigers not so much!" she panicked.

She was so busy looking at the time he wasn't watching where she was going and slammed headfirst into the arena wall.

"I'm so sorry, Camicazi," said Neria before she lost consciousness.

Camicazi then stepped forward. "Unfortunately, it seems I'm going to have to fight after all."

"We're so glad you could join us," said Lyon. "Let's go!"

"Lest talking, more fighting! _Wave!_ " Veger unleashing a magic blast at Camicazi.

However, Camicazi merely moved her head and the blast missed it by inches. Veger stared at her, because no one dodged his attack like that before.

"Attacks at nullify magic an opponent's magic. Impressive," said Camicazi.

Veger then fired another magic blast, but Camicazi drew her sword and sliced the blast into two. "But against me it's pointless."

Then there was an explosion at the magic blast struck the wall behind. She then took off like a rocket and headed straight towards the stunned Veger. He quickly created a barrier against Camicazi's sword, which was still sheathed

"This match is getting it hurts folks!" Agnar cried. "Camicazi doesn't even have to draw her sword to lay the smack down upon her opponent! In fact she's not even using her magic!"

Veger quickly jumped back to get as far away from Camicazi as possible.

" _Wave!_ " he yelled placing his hands together.

However before he could unleash his attack, Camicazi ran straight past him fast that he could blink. She was now directly behind him in his blind spot.

"To slow," she said and struck him in the back with her sheathed knocking him out cold.

The entire crowd cheered at this spectacle.

"Veger, can even get a single head before he was knocked out cold!" Agnar cried. " _Thor's Hammer_ is in trouble now! Looks like it's going to be Camicazi versus Lyon in a one-on-one battle!"

Heather stared. "She defeated Veger without drawing his sword. She is more powerful than I thought."

Astrid nodded. "Camicazi Berthadotter, it's clear that she is a skilled fighter."

"She certainly impressive, he may be in fact a strong as you are," said Eret looking at Astrid.

"I think it's safe to say that Lyon has his work cut out for him," said Hiccup folding his arms.

Ragnar just stood there against the entrance way with his arms folded.

"Hey, do you think that Lyon is going to be all right?" Shanyla asked looking at Ashelin.

"Well, I hope so, but he had a hard time against Neria and now he's against Camicazi, who is even stronger," she said looking troubled.

"Watch your tongue!" Ursula snapped. "You have no idea what kind of power he has buried underneath that cool façade! Lyon don't let that stone face delinquent get the best of you! Make her pay for what she did to poor Veger!"

Camicazi looked at Lyon with an emotionless expression.

"I've heard a lot about you," she said. "Apparently you won't call yourself a _Cold Emperor_ and you performed a dangerous ritual enough in the hopes to fight the demon, Deliora."

"That was a long time ago," said Lyon. "Now I'm just Lyon Bason, a Viking from _Thor's Hammer_. Nothing more nothing less." He then looked at her curiously. "You know something, you remind me a lot of myself years ago. But that's not a compliment, because I was consumed by bitterness and hatred back then."

Camicazi looked as if she hadn't heard him. "I have a question for you, I noticed that you never attacked Neria directly. Were you holding the back just because she was a girl? Or were you worried that in doing so you might reveal your secrets to me?"

Lyon smiled. "Good question, maybe you'll find out the answer during our battle!" he said placing his hands together. " _Ice-Make: Dragonfly!_ "

Suddenly he unleashed a swarm of ice dragonflies directly at Camicazi. However, she nearly rushed into the dodged every single one of them.

Lyon then places hands together again. " _Ice-Make: Eagle!"_

However, Camicazi appeared in front of him and struck him with her sheathed sword, smashing the ice eagle before he fired in sending him backwards.

"Just one swing and he's down!" Agnar cried. "Can you get back up or is this the end of the match?"

Lyon struggled to get back up.

"What do you think you're doing?" Ragnar's voice yelled. Lyon turned and saw Ragnar was now standing with the others looking down at him. "And you call yourself Master Ur's student! If she saw you right now she would be completely embarrassed! Come on, I know you can do better than that!"

Lyon looked up at him.

"Are you going to attack, because I thought we came here to fight?" Camicazi snapped as she held a sword tightly. "I'm losing my patience!"

"Me too," said Lyon getting to his feet. "So let's hurry and get this over with." He then extended his hands. " _Ice-Make: Snow Tiger!_ " Suddenly appearing on his left side was a tiger made of ice. "And now _Ice-Make: Snow Ape!_ " Then appearing on his right side was a gorilla made of ice. He then brought his hands together. " _Ice-Make: Snow Dragon!_ "

Then appearing directly behind him was a dragon made of ice. This one had two legs and a broad wings. It had two prominent tusks protruding from its lower jaw. Also, it had a long ledge under its chin that seemed to be thick eyebrows. Its long tail was covered with spikes and a thick, fleshy tongue with black bumps on it. It also had two claws on its feet.

"A Snow Wraith," said Hiccup looking intrigued.

"Is that a dragon?" Heather asked.

"It's an ice dragon," said Hiccup. "Clearly, Lyon knows one or two things about dragons if he was able to make one with such fine detail."

Camicazi looked at Lyon's three ice beasts.

"I don't think even you are capable of avoiding three of them," said Lyon confidently.

Immediately his free creations pounced, but Camicazi jumped into the air just in time to avoid the gorilla and tiger, but then the Snow Wraith tackled her knocking her back down to the ground. Camicazi landed on her feet and looked at the three beasts now turning towards her.

"Do you honestly think this is going to be enough to beat me?" Camicazi asked looking insulted. "You're wrong!"

Then her sword began to glow and then appearing above them was a Magic Circle and immediately Lyon and his beasts were floated up into the air.

"Dog on," said Babs. "There is her special _Gravity Change_ technique."

"Yep," Kelail smiled. "One of many trips she's got up her sleeve."

"She only uses that move if she's being flattened," Athessa noted. "This Lyon must be challenging her."

"But he's still not skilled enough to beat my girl," Bertha smiled.

Lyon was completely turned around. "Wow, she's so powerful."

He then looked down and saw Camicazi jumping up towards him. She swung her sword completely destroyed his three creatures. Lyon then turned around and saw her coming back down towards him.

"You're done for!" she yelled raising her sheathed sword.

However, the horn and she stopped instantly. Her sword were inches away from Lyon, but miraculously she stopped just in time.

"I'm afraid you're out of time," said Mindor. "I declare this match a draw!"

"You heard the man ladies and gentlemen," said Agnar as Camicazi magic dispelled and she and Lyon landed back onto the ground. "Looks like we've got yet another draw on our hands."

"Aw, shucks," Babs groaned. "We were so close."

"Yeah, no kidding," Athessa grumbled. "She was just about to finish him off."

"Hey, a draw is better than a loss, it's all good," Kelail smiled. "If Camicazi is okay with how it turned out we should be to."

Bertha look looked at her daughter. ' _When are you going to use your full power? I know that you want to kill Jellal, but that won't bring him back_.'

"I thought Lyon was a goner for a second there," Ashelin sighed with relief.

"Yeah, he was literally saved by the bell," Shanyla nodded.

Ursula was furious. "That numbskull would have won the match if he did have girls on the brain. He's in big trouble, I hope he's ready for mighty big spin from me, because that's just what he's getting!"

Lyon approached Veger, who had regained consciousness.

"Man, Camicazi is tough," he said still sore from his wounds.

"Yes, but something tells me she's holding back," Lyon frowned.

Veger nodded. "You may be right, but every year is the same story with her. Nobody has ever seen her go all out."

Neria had also regained consciousness and she was following Camicazi back towards the stands.

"I'm sorry I let you down, Camicazi," she said apologetically.

"There's no need to apologise, Lyon was strong," she admitted. "But if this had been an actual fight rather than just a match…" He then came to a stop and she turned her head towards her. "You would be dead."

Neria nodded and continue to make their way towards the stands.

"You need to build up your strength Neria. So let's train even harder," said Camicazi.

"Okay," Neria nodded.

"The crowd is still going wild over our last match, but the next one is sure to be just as exhilarating!" Agnar announced.

Hiccup the First smiled. "Looks like it's our turn."

"Yep, we're up," Gobber nodded.

"It's about time," said Spitelout.

"Here we go," said Fishlegs excitedly.

"We're going to kick some ass!" Agatha yelled.

"Hiccup and Eret had better watch themselves, because this fight they're facing is gonna be one of the toughest," said Alvin.

* * *

Meanwhile in the infirmary, Ruby began to stir and opened her eyes to find Hiccup sitting next to her bed.

"Hey, you feeling any better?" he asked.

Ruby smiled and sat up straight. "I'm getting there." She then looked at him. "Is your magic to start?"

"Yep," Hiccup nodded. "And we're gonna win it."

Merrill and Stormfly then opened the door.

"Sorry to burst in on you like this," said Merrill apologetically. "We just wanted to check on you and see how you're feeling."

Stormfly then saw Hiccup. "Oh, hello Hiccup."

"Thanks for taking care of her," he said as he left the room. "I know she's in good hands."

"Sure, good luck with your match. Have fun!" Merrill called.

* * *

Hiccup then met up with Eret, who was leaning against the hallway.

"You ready to rock?" Eret asked.

"All set," Hiccup nodded. "Now let's go win this thing and make everybody in _Dragon Tail_ proud."

Eret smiled. "I'm with you all the way."

"Hiccup," said a voice.

They turned and saw Toothless looking up at them.

"Hey, bud. Anything the matter?" Hiccup asked.

* * *

In the arena everyone was at the edge of their seats, not surprising because this was a massive everyone had been waiting for. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife and even then there was so much of it wouldn't be able to scrape it off.

"And now… at long last we come to the battle that everybody has been waiting for," said Agnar ominously.

Hiccup and Eret had entered the field and unsurprisingly their opponents were Sting and Rogue.

"One Guild was considered the strongest in Septem seven years ago and the other currently holds the title. This is going to be a great match, it's _Dragon Tail's_ Hiccup and Eret versus _Sabretooth's_ Sting and Rogue. You're about to witness as showdown of epic proportions, these aren't just any Vikings their _Dragons Slayers_ and two of them are former master and student."

Hookfang and Skull looked down at them excitedly.

"Go get them, Sting," said Hookfang.

"You can do this, Rogue," said Skull.

"I've been looking forward to this all my life," said Sting looking directly at Hiccup. "It's time to show you the real master is."

Hiccup merely stood there and said nothing.

* * *

Deep within a fiery crevice was the shadow of Igneel and he was fully aware of what was going on.

"Holy Dragon Weisslogia, Shadow Dragon Skiadrum, who will emerge victorious? The Dragons slayers you trained or my Hiccup?" he pondered. "How the humans surpassed dragons or is it an unattainable dream? Soon we'll be forced to take action, the _Dragon King Festival_ draws near."

* * *

Back in the arena everyone was merely waiting for the start of the match in the crowd wanted to get started right away.

"The crowd is getting super hyped up and I don't blame them," said Agnar.

"Go give them a thrashing you guys!" Ragnar called.

"Get some hits for us too!" Heather added.

"Win this one is the _Dragon Tail_!" Astrid cried.

* * *

In the infirmary the crowd cheered was so loud that they could hear them through the stone surface.

"Sounds like they're about to get started out there," said Merrill looking at Ruby.

"I'm sure Hiccup is going to win," said Ruby confidently. "I have faith in him."

* * *

In the arena things were about to start.

"This is it, ladies and gentlemen," said Agnar over the roar of the crowd. "The _Dragon Slayers_ are on the battlefield. Now the only question is who will be triumphant? The Dragons or the Tigers?"

Stoick looked at him grimly. "You face a formidable foe. You'll need to give it everything you've got."

Jiemma merely watched from the stands in utter silence.

Sting was anxious to get started. ' _All these years, I've dream of fighting Hiccup and now I finally get the chance._ '

All four _Dragon Slayers_ were eyeing each other without blinking in silence.

"It's time to get this match started or else the crowd will have a fit," said Mindor. "Remember you have 30 minutes! Let the battle begin!"

The horn then blew signalling the start of the match.

"You ready?" Sting asked to Rouge.

"Yeah," she nodded.

They started a run towards Hiccup and Eret, but stopped almost instantly. Hiccup and Eret had already made the first move and was now directly in front of them with unbelievable speed. The next thing they realised the two of them struck hard on the faces knocking them backwards.

Hiccup then speeded towards the unbalanced Sting and knocked him back with a powerful kick. Sting was pushed backwards, but managed to regain his footing.

" _Holy Dragon's Roar!_ " he cried unleashing a powerful white beam straight out of his mouth.

Hiccup leaned back in the being passed over him. "I saw that from a mile away," he said.

Sting then moved his body causing the beam to move towards Eret. However, he quickly jumped into the air and dodge the attack. Shadow then began to form around Rouge's hand and jumped in the air with the intention to strike Eret when his guard was down.

" _Shadow Dragon's Slash!_ " she cried.

Eret hand and became the form of a sword and use it to block her attack as he slammed the fist of shadow against it. This corner completely by surprise and then using his full force Eret send her flying backwards in mid-air.

Sting turned and saw Rogue landed on the ground just in front of him. "Rogue!" he cried.

His eyes widened when he saw Hiccup rushing out of the smoke clutching Rogue head in his hand. Before he could do anything Hiccup slammed Rogue into him. Then with his left hand he drew _Inferno_ which then began to glow purple.

" _Fire Dragon's Plasma Blade!_ " he yelled striking the two of them with perfect slashes.

 _Dragon Tail_ immediately cheered as Hiccup then the two of them flying.

"Whoa, I can't believe what's happening right before my eyes!" Agnar cried. "The rationalist Sting and Rogue, the _Twin Dragon's_ of Septem's mightiest Guild have been overwhelmed by _Dragon Tail_!"

Hookfang and Skull just stared dumbfounded as Sting and Rogue recovered from that surprise.

"You guys are tough, that's a sure," said Sting with a smile. "Makes it more fun."

Rouge looked at Eret. "Eret."

Hiccup looked at the two of them and narrowed had his eyes. "Tell me something… did you really defeat your dragons with that measly power of yours?"

"We didn't just defeat them, we killed our dragons with our bare hands," said Sting clutching his fists.

"But why?" Hiccup asked. "They trained you, nurtured you, didn't you feel any sort of connection with them?"

"That's none of your business," Sting glared. "You're no longer my master, I outgrown you. But will show you loses the true power of a _Dragon Slayer_!" His face and became seriously stood up straight. " _Holy Drive!_ "

" _Shadow Drive!_ " said Rogue.

Immediately's surrounding the two _Dragon Slayers_ were auras of light and shadow and it in take a genius to realise that their power had increased.

"Here we go," said Sting as they took up fighting stances.

Hiccup and Eret then did the same.


	49. Four Dragons

Stoick frowned looking down at Sting and Rogue, whose powers had now increased.

"The Twin Dragon's of Sabretooth, Sting and Rogue," he said to no one in particular. "They may be Dragon Slayers like Hiccup and Eret, but we still know nothing about their magic. Hiccup only taught Sting the basics of Dragon Slaying Magic, swordplay and his basic philosophies, but other than that Sting is his own man. Predicting the outcome of this fight is all but impossible."

"Especially now that they finished testing each other's strength," said Hiccup the First. "This is where the site really starts."

Jiemma just sat in the stands with boundless confidence. "You're dying guild will be laid to rest."

"Ready Sting?" Rogue asked.

"Yep," said Sting as he pulled his blade.

Both teams were just staring at one another sizing each other up.

"The intense staring contest continues you could cut the tension in the arena with a knife," said Agnar literally on the edge of his seat. "Who will be the first to make a move?"

Sting then rushed towards Hiccup holding his blade firmly in hand. Light then covered the blade as he slammed it down onto Hiccup, who quickly raised his own blade.

" _Sabretooth's_ Sting springs into action!" Agnar cried as Hiccup tried held his ground. " _Dragon Tail's_ Hiccup barely manages to block."

"Have a taste of my _Holy Dragon's Light Blade_!" Sting yelled slamming his sword towards Hiccup yet again.

Hiccup and Sting then started to trade blows with their blades, but it was quite easy to tell that Sting was the fastest one as Hiccup could barely keep up.

"Hiccup!" Eret cried.

Eret then saw Rogue heading straight towards him and flung a punch directly at her. However, his fist merely went through her body and he kept on flowing around him like a shadow as each and every one of his attacks were equally as useless. Then Rogue appeared out of nowhere and struck Eret with her knee pushing him backwards.

"Look at that, no matter what Eret tries he just can't get the upper hand on Rouge's _Shadow Drive_!" Agnar cried.

"Try as you might you can't catch a shadow," said Rogue.

She then sunk into the ground and became a shadow speeding towards Eret from behind him. However, Eret sensed her presence immediately turned his arm into a sword and swung it towards her.

"Gotta ya!" he yelled.

However, his sword merely went through her body and she vanished. Next second she appeared right behind him and struck him hard. At the same time Sting slammed a powerful kick into Hiccup sending him backwards and the two of them backs slammed into trouble.

"So how are you doing?" Hiccup asked.

"Same as you," said Eret.

"Then we got this in the bag," Hiccup smiled.

"You think so!" Sting yelled from above.

Then suddenly the two of them slammed right down on top of them spreading dust all around the arena hiding them from view.

* * *

"They drastically increase their power," said Skullcrusher folding his arms. "I wasn't aware the _Dragon Slayers_ had that ability."

"Neither did I," said Toothless.

"Looks like this fight can be even harder than we imagined," Cloudjumper frowned.

* * *

"I see you still took some of my lessons to heart," said Hiccup.

"Always leave something back to surprise your opponent," Sting smiled as he charged at Hiccup yet again. This time the two of them were trading blows with their fists and Sting was completely overpowering him. "You know I was expecting a lot more from you!"

Eret and Rogue were also trading blows and then Rouge sliced the headband on his head.

Stoick frowned. "Not looking too good."

"They use magic power amplification," said Hiccup the First looking troubled. "And that to their teamwork and their practically flawless."

Sting and Rogue then charged at Hiccup and Eret again and then began trading blows yet again.

"Am I the only one feeling let down here?" Orga asked.

"Their lack in strength and power is indeed pitiful," Ilos agreed. "It's a wonder they survived this long."

Sting and Rouge then kicked them hard knocking them back into each other and then dealt a powerful jab knocking them backwards.

"That's the way!" Hookfang cheered. "You got them on the ropes! Now bring it home!"

"Stay focused and don't let your guard down!" Skull yelled.

* * *

In the infirmary, everyone inside were listening to the crowd.

"The crowd's excitement just took a major turn," Gothi frowned.

"Are Hiccup and Eret in trouble?" Merrill asked.

"The _Twin Dragon_ may be too much for them," said Stormfly honestly.

"The match is only begun we cannot lose hope just yet," said Gothi strongly.

* * *

In the arena, Sting was swinging a blowing fists directly at Hiccup.

"Beating the crap out of my former master is pretty sweet!" Sting smiled as he pummelled Hiccup. He then slammed a powerful fist right into his chest. "All I ever wanted to do is to show the world that I'm better than you are today it's finally happening!"

Hiccup was then sent flying in his chest glowed.

"Oh crap," said Ragnar.

Astrid frowned. "Something was off with that punch. It was different from the other attacks he's used so far."

Ragnar looked at her. "Different how?"

The punch had ripped Hiccup's shirt revealing his chest which was now glowing with a symbol.

"Yeah, you're right," said Ragnar noticing. "He put a Magic Circle on it."

Hiccup tried to move about himself unable to do so. "I can't move my body," he said. He then looked at Sting. "What did you do to me?"

Sting smiled. "My _Holy Dragon's Glowing Talon_ is infused with _Holy Magic._ Anyone branded with _Stigma Martyr_ becomes paralysed." His hands then began to glow as he smirked. "Now the real fight begins. You're my new punching bag!"

Eret was having a tricky time trying to land a hit on Rogue as he kept on turning to shadow every time he launched an attack. She managed to dodge his club attacks and then appeared behind him and performed a spin kick. He managed to dodge it and swung this directly at her, like the before she vanished.

"In the end, a Shadow Dragon will always get its prey," she whispered in his ear. Eret turned around, but she vanished and reappeared behind him. "And you won't even see it coming."

She then stretched her hand towards him, but then completely out of nowhere he grabbed her hand. She soon realised her mistake, in order to attack him she had to make herself solid which made her very vulnerable.

"I wouldn't be so sure if I were you," he said. He then looked directly at her. "Now where were we?"

"He's got him now!" Fishlegs cheered.

"Take her down, Eret!" Tuffnut yelled.

"So cool," said Ruffnut hugging Skullcrusher and patting him on the head. "For a second I thought he wouldn't be able to touch that chick."

"Rogue is skilled, but she can't prepare to Eret when it comes to adaptability in a fight," said Skullcrusher.

"Hiccup is a pretty good at thinking outside the box as well," said Toothless folding his paws. "Take him down!"

Sting was charging towards him with a fist of light, but then he noticed the smile on his face. He swung at Hiccup, but the last second he ducked and slammed a fiery fist right in his face completely out of nowhere. He was hit so hard that he was sent backwards.

"You shouldn't be able to move!" he said. Then he looked at his chest and saw that steam was exiting from it. ' _He burnt off_ Stigma Martyr?'

"You have improved, but you still have much to learn," said Hiccup. "For instance I also taught you that arrogance is the enemy of battle. Perhaps you should have paid more attention to my lessons."

Sting looked at him furiously.

"Now that classic Hiccup move," Ragnar smiled.

"Yeah, surprise and misdirection those are his best weapons," Astrid agreed.

Eret was still holding onto Rouge's arm. "What's happened you were so cocky a moment ago?" he said before pulling her and slamming a powerful elbow right in her face. "Don't underestimate _Dragon Tail_!"

Hiccup then swung a fiery fist at Sting and Eret kicked Rogue in the chest. The combined attack sent flying straight into the arena wall.

"Nice one!" Toothless cheered with enthusiasm.

Ruffnut was hugging Skullcrusher so hard it was difficult for him to breathe. "That was amazing Eret!" she screamed.

"Please curb your enthusiasm before it kills me," Skullcrusher wheezed.

Hookfang and Skull stared down into the arena. Hiccup and Eret were now the one overwhelming the Twin Dragon's dealing blow after blow with fire and iron.

"And just like that the tide of battle has changed once again!" Agnar cried.

Sting looked at Hiccup. "You guys are pretty awesome all right, no shock there." He then took on a fighting stance and began to glow with a bright light. "Looks like have to give you everything we've got. When we decide to go all out there is no way fire and steel can stop us."

Gustav stared at the bright light emanating from Sting. "Do you feel their magic power?" he asked. "It's crazy huge."

"No kidding, I think something big is about to go down," said Toothless.

"I can barely see the arena," said Agnar covering his eyes from the light. "What's happening Mr Johann?"

"That kid is focusing every ounce of his magic power all in one spot," Johann explained.

"Here it comes, Hiccup!" Sting yelled from the light. " _Dragon Slayer Secret Art! Holy Nova!_ "

He then rushed towards Hiccup and swung a punch directly at him which was now covered in a horizontal column of light. Seconds later there was a massive burst of magic power that erupted across the arena and could be felt within the stands blinding everyone.

Sting smiled believing that his triumph was assured, but that was not the case. He stared in horror as the dust began to clear and Hiccup remained completely unharmed with his hand covering his fist. The attacking land a single scratch on him as somehow he managed to block the attack with his bare hand.

"The dust is clear," said Agnar and a few seconds later he got a clear view of the arena. "Wow! _Dragon Tail's_ Hiccup stopped that also attacked with just one hand!"

"Whoa, that's crazy" said Hookfang open-mouthed.

"He's stronger than I ever believed," said Skull.

Sting remained completely emotionless in shock.

His other teammates were completely bewildered as well.

"No way," said Orga.

"I don't recall anyone blocking that move before," said Ilos stunned.

Minerva looked at Hiccup with intrigue. "Very interesting. I can see why he had the guts to attack us all by himself. Who knows, if I hadn't stopped him then we might have seen quite a show."

"Don't give up, Sting," said Hookfang.

Agnar looked at Johann. "Any comments? I'm not sure what to make of this?"

Rogue then attempted to attack Eret with his back was turned. "Eret!" she cried.

However, Eret turned around and punched her hard in the face knocking her back.

"Come on, Rogue," said Skull.

Then Hiccup and Eret knocked the _Twin Dragon's_ back into each other again and then dealt a devastating kick to them sending them backwards. They then pressed on their advantage not letting up in the slightest.

"I knew that training in _Second Origins_ had improved their strength, but I never imagined that they would be this powerful," said Stoick.

Johann smiled. "There as a whole different level now."

The entire crowd cheered and they found this very exciting as Sting and Rouge were not to the ground.

* * *

In the infirmary they could hear the cheers and knew instantly what it meant.

"Even I can feel at this time," Merrill smiled. "All the excitement up there just keeps growing.

"Yes," Gothi agreed.

Stormfly then saw Ruby sitting up. "Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

"Yeah, but there's no way that's going to happen," she said. She then looked at them seriously. "I want to be awake when they win."

* * *

In the arena, Sting and Rogue recovering from Hiccup and Eret's surprise comeback.

"If I wasn't watching it with my own two eyes I wouldn't believe it," said Agnar stunned. " _Sabretooth's Twin Dragons_ are completely at the mercy of _Dragon Tail's Dragon Slayers_. Will the match and with _Sabretooth_ face down in the dirt?"

However, Sting and Rogue weren't finished quite yet.

"We're not finished yet," said Rogue getting to her feet.

"She's right, it's not like we expected this to be easy you know," Sting agreed. "Give us some credit."

Sting then began to remember the first time he met Hookfang and the two of them became friends almost instantly.

"You've got to get up," Hookfang pleaded quietly.

' _Don't worry Hookfang, I know_ ,' said Sting to himself as getting to his feet. ' _My word is my bond_.' Then both he and Rogue looked at Hiccup and Eret seriously and suddenly they sensed a massive amount of magic power everything from their bodies. ' _I'm not going to lose_.'

Then suddenly their bodies were consumed by light and shadow and to their amazement they saw what looked to be scales appearing on the bodies. Sting's scales were very bright and had a blue aura about them resembled an aurora. Rouge's scales on the other hand were as black as smoke.

"I made a promise to, Hookfang," said Sting looking at them defiantly. "And I intend to keep it."

"Feel that?" Eret said to Hiccup. "They're not playing around."

"No kidding, because they've just done something impossible," said Hiccup.

Stoick's eyes widened. "No! I don't believe it."

Minerva smiled from the stands. "Only now the fools truly understand the power they faced."

Jellal was also watching the downfall of the statues in his eyes widened, because he knew exactly what was happening. "This cannot be activated at will?"

" _The Dragon Force_ ," Hiccup the First stared.

Ragnar looked at Astrid, as she was the only member of the Guild whoever witnessed this kind of power. "Didn't Hiccup use that power in the Tower of Valhalla?" he asked.

"Yes, in a way," said Astrid looking immensely troubled.

Jellal had witnessed this power twice from Hiccup and both times were extraordinary circumstances. ' _Hiccup only gained that power by consuming Etherion. He also managed to unleash that strength against Zero by consuming all of my magic, but somehow these two can tap into whenever they see fit_.'

Minerva chuckled slightly. "They are the _Third Generation_ , the world's first true _Dragon Slayers_."

When they were done unleashing their magic, Sting took a step forward approaching the two of them.

"Hang back, Rogue, I've got this," he said. He then smiled evilly at them. "I can handle these chumps by myself."

Hiccup and Eret stood ready, because they knew how dangerous the _Twin Dragons_ were now.

"Well, this match has certainly been one heck of a rollercoaster," said Agnar. "Do we have a two versus one duel on our hands?"

"You have to hand it to the boy at least he has self-confidence," said Johann folding his arms.

"You got that right," said Hookfang whose concern was now gone. "Sting and Rogue in complete control now thanks to the _Dragon Force_ power. I can't believe we were worried those dragons should give up while they can, because our slayers can truly slay dragons."

"The question is how long with a last," said Skull folding his paws.

"I've never seen this ability first-hand," said Ragnar looking at Astrid. "Is it really that awesome?"

"Yes," Astrid nodded. "They are at a real disadvantage now."

* * *

In the infirmary they had the crowd dying down which was an ill omen.

"I don't like how quiet it got," Ruby frowned.

"Maybe it's over," said Merrill hopefully.

"Actually, it's just beginning," said Gothi grimly.

Stormfly looked at Ruby. "Want to watch?"

Ruby shook her head. "That's okay, I'm sure that Hiccup and Eret will be fine."

* * *

Everyone in the stands watched with bated breath as they waited for someone to make the first move.

"I feel a little insulted," said Eret.

"Take it from me, he's not bluffing," said Hiccup looking serious. "After all I've used that power twice myself."

The twins then blew into the arena and the moment it died down Sting made his move. He shot up quicker than they could blink and within seconds he struck Hiccup with a powerful punch sending him backwards.

Eret quickly performed a spin kick, but Sting ducked in time and blasted him with a beam of light. Hiccup somersaulted across the arena and uses momentum the jump of the arena wall with an added boost of his flames. Eret held his ground and then jumped back at Sting.

Immediately the two of them throw punches at Sting, but no matter how fast they moved he blocked them flawlessly.

"Whoa, so fast," Fishlegs stared.

"He's like a different person now," said Toothless.

"Hiccup!" Gustav cried.

Sting then struck Eret with a kick and then grabbed Hiccup flaming fit and tossed him into the air right towards Eret. He then jumped into the air directly above them.

" _Holy Dragon's Roar!_ " he roared unleashing a beam of light from his mouth.

* * *

The attack struck the arena floor causing a massive explosion that shook the entire Colosseum so much so that it could be all the way into the infirmary.

"The room's shaking," said Merrill getting to her feet.

"Their magic power is reaching all the way down here," said Stormfly shocked.

Gothi, however, did not look surprised. "What did you expect? It's a battle between _Dragon Slayers_ not a dance recital."

Ruby just sat in her bed in silence. ' _Come on, stay strong._ '

* * *

In the Coliseum people were completely stunned, because Sting's attack had made a gigantic hole in the arena floor. The hole led to some underground that indicated the remains of an ancient civilisation.

"Incredible!" Agnar cried with astonishment. "The floor of the arena gave way to Sting's astonishing attack!"

"I can't see them," said Stoick looking for Hiccup and Eret.

"What an incredibly powerful breath attack," said Hiccup the First staring at the large gaping hole.

"Look at the damage he caused," Astrid stared recklessly.

Ragnar nodded still in shock. "No kidding, these _Third Generation Dragon Slayers_ don't mess around."

Finally they were able to find Hiccup and Eret who are falling into the catacombs below the arena.

"Eret!" Ruffnut and Eret cried.

"Hiccup!" Gustav and Toothless cried.

"We may have lost the battlefield, but the action continues underground," said Agnar as everyone was forced to watch from the lacrima screens. "The action just keeps getting better!" The crowd cheered louder than ever before now. "Ladies and gentlemen please pay attention to the lacrima screens."

Amazingly, Sting's attack did not knock them unconscious. However, Sting was in hot pursuit of them.

"You can't leave, we're not done yet!" he yelled as he sped towards them.

Hiccup landed on a chunk of the fallen rubble. " _Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!_ " he yelled.

He then jumped off the rubble with flames covering his body and tackled Sting head on. The attack did pushing back and Eret then appeared directly behind him taking a deep breath.

" _Iron Dragon's Roar!_ " he roared unleashing his breath attack upon him.

Sting was sent flying down towards the bottom of the cavern hard, but when the dust cleared he was still standing much to their astonishment.

"The radiance of a Holy Dragon, purified all," he said as he placed his hands together and a huge ball of light began to form. " _Holy Ray!_ "

Then suddenly releasing from his hands large of rays of light was unleashed. They completely bombarded Hiccup and Eret while they were in mid-air. There was no way for them to dodge the attack so they had no choice but to endure it.

"Such power," Astrid stared.

" _Holy Elemental Magic_ ," said Hiccup the First emotionlessly.

Hiccup hit the ground first and in stop skidding across the ground until his back struck a pillar. Sting then landed in front of him and the two of them charge at one another without a second to catch their breath.

Sting stuck Hiccup with a punch of pure light and all the strength he had. "Time to fly," he smirked.

No matter how much Hiccup try, he was unable to hold his ground and was quite literally sent flying across the ruins.

"Man, even Hiccup is having trouble against this guy and he's the one who taught him," said Ingrid.

"I think he taught him a little too well," said Helga shaking uncontrollably. "This back and forth crap is really stressing me out."

Eret then tried to strike punch while his back was turned, but Sting quickly dodged it and kicked him aside with immense force. Hiccup then jumped out of the rubble and slammed the blazing fixed on top of him. He quickly grabbed the fist and then slammed him away were fist of light.

Eret tried to strike him with his iron club, but yet again Sting dodged it and then sent him back with a powerful kick. Hiccup got back onto his feet and drew _Inferno_ only for Sting to draw his own blade and blocked it. He then performed a powerful leg sweep and then punched him aside with a glowing fist.

Eret formed his iron sword and soon there was a sword site between them. However, no matter how much they try they weren't able to get past his guard and he counted every single one of them moves. He then somersaulted behind them and then blasted them with his dragon breath attack.

"He's really wrecking shop, they can't keep up with him," Hookfang smirked.

"I wish Rogue would take part," said Skull looking slightly disappointed.

Sting was smiling broadly. ' _Hookfang, we've waited a long time for this moment. I win and keep my promise to you._ '

* * *

About seven years ago, before the whole Cove Island incident and after Hiccup trained Sting, the young Sting was looking at a younger Hookfang, who was crying. They were in a nice peaceful meadow not too far way from Sting's clan and they had just stopped by a human village for supplies.

"What's up, Hookfang?" Sting asked as he bent down towards him. "Did you get picked on again?"

"Those jerks," Hookfang cried. "They won't believe anything I tell them. I told them how you beta dragon using your bare hands, but they just laughed and called me a liar right to my face."

"Whatever, Hookfang," said Sting tiredly. "Let them talk. I don't care what they think and my former master didn't care what other people thought of him. Just forget about them."

"I can't!" Hookfang cried. "You did hear the other things they said about you!"

"It doesn't bother me, really," Sting sighed. "My old Master said that those who shout the loudest are often the weakest."

"I know," said Hookfang finding himself unable to stop crying. "But I… I don't like it when people talk back about my best friend!"

Sting smiled and leaned towards him and rubbed his head. "All right, then. In that case I'll prove that you're not a lair."

Hookfang stopped crying and looked at him.

Sting then looked into the sky. "There may not be any dragons left to fight, but it is my former master. The Night Fury of _Dragon Tail_ , he said that he looked forward to a fight between us. So I'll beat him someday right in front of everybody. That's a promise, pal."

Those words cheered Hookfang up and ever since that day Sting worked tirelessly to get stronger so that he could fulfil that promise.

* * *

It was the present-day and Sting had his fist in the air, because lying down on the ground were both Hiccup and Eret and neither one of them were moving.

"See that Hookfang!" Sting yelled triumphantly. "I won!"

"At a boy, Sting! I knew you could!" Hookfang cheered.

The members of _Dragon Tail_ just looked on in despair.

* * *

In the infirmary, they could hear the crowd had gone silent.

"What now?" Merrill asked. "It got really quiet up there.

"All that rumbling, do you think they lost?" Stormfly asked.

"No way," said Ruby confidently. "Those two are just fine." Though secretly she had her doubts. ' _I hope. Please be okay_.'

* * *

Rouge had entered into the ruins. "Change is inevitable and there's the proof," she said looking at the unconscious Hiccup and Eret. "The old generation battered and beaten at the hands of true Dragon Slayer. Their era was grand, but now it has come to an end."

"Got that right," said Sting.

"Hiccup and Eret may not be getting up from that one folks," said Agnar. "It was an intense fight for both sides, but it looks like _Dragon Tail_ may have succumbed to the might of _Sabretooth_ Twin Dragons after all."

"Hiccup," said Toothless with tears forming in his eyes.

"Oh no," Ruffntu stared.

"What do you think you're doing? The fight isn't over yet you're not allowed to quit," said Skullcrusher strongly.

"I cannot accept this," said Cloudjumper clutching his paw.

"Even Hiccup and Eret can't beat these guys?" said Spitelout furiously.

Gobber sighed. "I was starting to think that we had a chance."

"Get up!" Gustav cried. "Please, you can't lose like this!"

Sting's Dragon Force then faded away and he looked at his former master. "Good right, that was the toughest I ever had," he said. "Thanks, I mean."

"Are they down for the count?" Agnar asked.

"With lying there, you've got a fight to finish!" Ragnar yelled.

" _Dragon Tail_ is counting on you, you can't give up!" Heather cried.

"Listen to us, we're right here with you!" Astrid yelled. "You're never alone, because you're part of _Dragon Tail_!"

Minerva narrowed her eyes. "Perhaps, I was wrong. He's nothing special after all."

Rogue then joined Sting with the disappointed look on her face.

"Sting," she said.

"Yeah, I know," said Sting knowing what she was about to say. "Eret wasn't minded take out." He then looked at her. "Sorry, but I finally did it. I kept my word."

"Don't count out just yet," said Hiccup's voice.

Sting eyes widened as he turned round and he and Rogue stared, because getting onto their feet were Hiccup and Eret.

* * *

The entire crowd cheered even louder than before and that she had to be her down in the infirmary where Ruby smiled.

"You hear the crowd? That sounds pretty encouraging," said Merrill cheerfully.

"They're still in the fight," Ruby smiled. "I don't know why we're surprised, they've never learned how to give up."

"It's hard until whether they're tough or just stubborn," Stormfly chuckled to herself.

* * *

"You can't keep a _Dragon Tail_ man down!" Tuffnut cheered.

"Looks like we had nothing to worry about! They heard us calling!" Fishlegs smiled.

"Way to go, Hiccup!" Toothless yelled at the top of his voice.

"I knew Eret was out of this yet, ha," Skullcrusher smiled.

"Now bring this match home!" Cloudjumper smiled.

Hiccup and Eret looked as if a train drove over them, but otherwise they were unharmed.

"Did you get a number of that car? I've got a splitting headache," Hiccup groaned.

"I'll be feeling that for week," Eret groaned.

"It's as if Sting's attack didn't even phase them!" Agnar announced.

The two of them soon recovered and then turn towards Sting and Rouge.

"Not bad, but now we've seen all your tricks," Hiccup smiled.

"What?" Sting stared still in shock.

"No," said Rogue also stunned.

"No way," Hookfang stared. "How did they get up? This has got to be some kind of nightmare? I must be dreaming, right?"

"If you are having the same dream," said Skull equally stunned. "We're in trouble now."

"We now know the timing of your attacks, the way you stand when you defend, even the rhythm of your breathing," said Hiccup.

"What in the name of Tarbal?" Sting stared. "That's impossible! I used my Dragon Force, you should be standing!"

"And yet we are," said Hiccup. "I won't deny that your attack was strong, it certainly knocked the wind out of us. But don't forget that it was I that taught you to hold something back and that he is and never underestimate your close."

Rogue looked at Sting. "Keep your composure, he's just bluffing."

Eret laughed. "Hiccup has to be the worst liars in the entire Guild."

Hiccup shrugged. "It's true. Now the only question is which one of us gets the privilege of taking you do down."

"You do it, you still got a trump card, right?" Eret asked.

"You know I do," Hiccup smiled.

"Then you take them on," said Eret as he walked away.

"And what will you be doing?" Hiccup asked.

"Some exploring," said Eret waving as he entered into a cavern.

Sting and Rogue stared at them.

"What are you doing?" Sting asked.

"Weren't you the one that said never to underestimate your foe?" said Rogan narrowing her eyes.

"I'm not, but you went two against one at us last time so now it's our time to return the favour," said Hiccup simply.

Hiccup then took on a fighting stance ready to fight the both of them. "Now bring it on and show me what you've got!"

"Insanity!" Agnar cried. "Hiccup Haddock has declared his one-on-two battle against the _Twin Dragons_! We could be witnessing history!"

"Now the real fight begins," said Hiccup looking at the two of them with absolute focus.


	50. Hiccup vs the Twin Dragons

The crowd was ecstatic as Hiccup challenge the piece the _Twin Dragon_ alone, it might have seemed crazy, but the confident look on his face indicated that it was possible. The entire _Dragon Tail_ Guild were cheering as if there was no tomorrow.

"Take them down, Hiccup!" Toothless yelled.

"I would have preferred if Eret stayed," said Skullcrusher looking slightly disappointed.

"I don't really think it matters which one of them decided to stay because they would both win," said Cloudjumper.

"Every bit the boar-head stubborn Viking you ever were," said Gobber looking at Stoick.

Stoick merely nodded in agreement.

"Looks like things are starting to get interesting," Alvin smiled.

"I think it's safe to say that were going to win this one," Valka nodded.

 _Sabretooth_ on the other hand were now concerned by the sudden turn of events.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," said Skull.

"You got this, Sting!" Hookfang yelled. "Show this clown that he's messing with the wrong guy!"

* * *

Amongst the cheering crowd was a cloaked figure from Day Three and whoever they were watching the battle with great interest. The figure then sighed as if they were remembering something happy in their past.

Jellal immediately sensed their presence. "That power, I sense it again."

Ultear and Orara while the other side of the city observing the entire events.

"It's power is very similar to Drago, but still different moment," said Ultear looking troubled.

"They're here, hiding amongst the crowd," said Orara.

Jellal immediately jumped down into the stands and began following the magic as quickly as he could.

' _Whatever happens you mustn't let them escape_ ,' said Ultear telepathically.

' _I know_ ,' said Jellal. ' _As much as I would like to stay and watch I have to catch them._ '

* * *

Sting and Rogue were now the ones feeling insulted.

"You think you can take us on alone?" Sting scoffed. "That's a big mistake!"

"I have no interest in fighting you, my only target is Eret," said Rouge.

"Well to get to him you have to beat me," said Hiccup.

Immediately the two of them reactivated their _Dragon Force_.

"Did you forget that we have control over _Dragon Force_?" Sting roared. "There's nothing in the world stronger than the dragon and both of us have their power!"

Sting then roared as he charged towards Hiccup with his fist covered in light. Hiccup then raised his ball on the block the attack, but unlike last time he wasn't blown away and held his ground.

"You have gotten stronger, but you still have much to learn," said Hiccup calmly.

* * *

In the infirmary they could hear the cheers from the Coliseum.

"Listen," said Ruby.

"It sounds like the crowd is getting worked up," said Rubbella, who stayed with them for protection.

"Probably because _Dragon Tail_ is kicking some serious butt," Snotlout smirked as he sat up proudly.

"I know you're fascinated by these fights, but your main concern should be recovery," said Gothi strongly. "Focus on healing and regaining the power you lost."

"Yes, but…" Ruby began.

Merrill looked at Ruby. "Don't worry about Hiccup, I'm sure he's okay."

"Yes, he and Eret both," Stormfly nodded. "In fact if you look up the word 'stubborn' in the dictionary that probably a picture of them right next to it. They'll be fine."

Ruby smiled. "Yeah, you're right."

"Of course she is," said Rubbella.

"Yeah, though if it was me I would have taken them down a lot sooner," said Snotlout.

"And yet you haven't recovered from your first match," Stormfly pointed out.

"What your point?" Snotlout blinked.

Everyone laughed.

Gothi shook her head. "Oh, these kids."

* * *

In the ruins, Sting was still trying to overpower Hiccup, but for some reason he was holding his ground despite last time being blown away.

"This is the power of a _True_ _Dragon Slayer_!" Sting roared as he attempted desperately to overpower Hiccup. "I should know, it's how I killed Weisslogia!"

Hiccup shook his head. "You forgot the most important lesson I ever taught you. Magic is generated by feelings and the stronger your feelings the more powerful you are. You are only fighting for yourself, but I am fighting all my friends you laughed at!" he yelled as flames began to cover his body. "And that makes all the difference! Go, _Second Origin_!"

Then with his free hand he struck Sting with his most powerful blazing fist yet sending him flying instead. Rogue appeared directly behind him and took in a deep breath.

"Whoa, look out!" Helga cried.

"Behind you!" Ingrid warned.

" _Shadow Dragon's Roar!_ " she yelled unleashing her breath attack.

Hiccup quickly turned around. " _Fire Dragon's Roar!_ " he yelled unleashing his breath attack.

The two attacks collided, but Hiccup literally tore through Rouge's attack and struck her before she had time to react.

Sting got back on his feet. "I'm not done with you!" he yelled and charged at him.

Rogue too got onto her feet. "Skull, don't worry. I'm not giving up now!" she yelled and followed Sting's lead.

"Come at me, with everything you've got," said Hiccup standing strong.

Sting and Rouge roared as a charged at him.

"Now given him the beating he's been asking for!" Hookfang roared.

Despite their best efforts it was now Hiccup blocking each one of their moves and easily countering.

"I think he's having fun out there," Ragnar smiled.

"He certainly seems to be enjoying himself," Heather agreed.

"Hiccup is one-of-a-kind," Astrid smiled. "No matter how many times he falls, he always picked himself up even stronger. I don't know what drives him, but what makes him a very powerful Viking. It doesn't matter how strong the opponent is, he just won't give up and because of that he gets stronger. So basically, the stronger his opponents the stronger he becomes.

Sting drew his blade and slammed it towards Hiccup, who raised Inferno and easily blocked the attack before pushing him back with a fiery fist. Rogue then came charging towards him and swung a fist at him, but he easily dodged it and kicked her back.

Sting and Rouge then tried a combined assault, but he blocked their attacks with his forearms and pushed them back. He then spun around unleashing a burst of fire from his hands.

"That's my boy," Stoick smiled.

"He may be willing, but the tenacity of the other two is remarkable," said Alvin.

"You're right, it's very impressive," Hiccup the First nodded.

Rogue tried to do a spinning shadow kick, but Hiccup jumped into the air to dodge it and kicked her with a blazing kick. Sting tried in mid-air assault, but merely somersaulted and struck him with his prosthetic leg while he was in mid-air. Hiccup then unleashed a plasma blast at the two of them knocking them back even further.

The other teams up were watching the battle with great interest.

"What an amazing battle," said Jura.

Lyon nodded. "He may not look like it, but he the strongest Viking I've ever seen. Able to think ahead and pushed forward at the same time."

Sting and Rouge then jumped out of the smoke from the explosion and swung their fists towards Hiccup. However, like the boy he kept on blocking their attacks and able to counter them. First knocking back Sting's swing with the back of his hand and then dealing him up forward jab. Rouge then swung her fist, but he ducked spun around and kneed her in the chest.

"The _Fire Viking_ is giving up a potent parfum," said Olatrand.

"Yeah," Feralan nodded. "I've never seen anyone like him before. Though I suppose he has to be tough if he's Astrid's girlfriend."

Sting then came back with a powerful swing, but Hiccup jumped into the air and punched him hard in the face pushing him backwards.

"He's certainly strong," said Camicazi acknowledged.

"He was the one that took down Jellal," said Neria. "I think he's become even stronger since then."

Hiccup then slammed two punches right in the _Twin Dragons_ faces. Sting recovered quickly and unleashed his dragon breath attack. However, Hiccup proved to be quite nimble somersaulting around the arena to dodge the attack before unleashing his own breath attack sending him flying.

Naturally, this stunned _Sabretooth_ immeasurably.

"What in the name of Thor is going on here?" Orga stared as they watched their teammates being overpowered.

"This is quite peculiar," said Ilos equally perplexed. "I have no memory of the Dragon Force being overwhelmed in such a way."

"Nor have I," said Minerva narrowing her eyes. She then spat distastefully.

Hiccup then knocked Rouge to the ground with a punch and then did the same with Sting.

Hookfang and Skull could only watch as their friends being overwhelmed. Hookfang took the hardest as he was crying out in buckets.

' _No, Sting_ ,' he cried silently.

He then began to remember the first time he ever met Sting. It was seven years ago Sting had visited a nearby town close to the clan. Hookfang had just witnessed him take down a couple of humans that were being quite threatening and realise that he was strong.

"I want you to teach me everything you know!" Hookfang pleaded on his knees. "I just saw you fight and I want to be strong just like you are!"

Sting looked at him quite surprised. "Oh yeah? You saw that and you're not afraid of me?"

"I'm not afraid," he said with tears in his eyes. "I swear! Teach me how to be strong like you!"

Sting looked at him for a moment and then smiled. "I'm supposed to teach a cat?"

"Will yeah?" Hookfang asked looking up.

"Yeah, it's cool with me. Let's get started," he smiled.

Ever since then they have never been separated.

In the present, Hookfang watched as Sting got back onto his feet.

"Please stay strong," he pleaded.

Sting and Rogue were completely exhausted and Hiccup didn't look worn out in the slightest.

"Now Sting!" Rouge yelled as he formed a powerful surge of Shadow Magic in the palm of her hand.

"Yeah!" Sting roared doing the same only with _Holy Magic_.

They then born perfect spheres that began to grow in size until they were three times as big as their casters. Hiccup just stood there watching completely calm.

The other members of _Dragon Tail_ were now looking concerned.

"You feel that?" Adelaide asked looking at Valka. "Their magic has completely changed yet again."

"It's definitely changed, because they started to merge together," said Valka.

"I never got strong like I wanted to," said Hookfang as the spheres they conjured when out 10 bigger than they're casters. "But I always loved watching you in action, you're awesome."

"They're attempting a _Unison Raid_ ," Stoick gasped.

"The power they each held separately is now one," said Hiccup the First. "They can prove to be quite a devastating attack. However…"

"Hiccup, get out of there!" Toothless cried.

"You can do it, Rogue" said Skull trying to be as helpful as possible.

"They can pull it off, because no one is ever going to take Sting down," said Hookfang defiantly.

Hiccup the First looked down at them. ' _There are some walls that power alone will never break through_.'

This really is the _Twin Dragons_ were now conjuring with 20 times their size and then they vanished. Then reappeared in their palms, divided by the same size and then began to form an entirely different sphere merging both _Shadow_ and _Holy Magic_ together.

* * *

In the infirmary, Ruby could sense this change.

"Oh no," said Ruby.

* * *

In the Coliseum everyone just watched in awe as Sting and Rouge prepared to release their final desperate attack.

"Odin's beard, what's going on?" Agnar asked.

"Looks like a _Unison Raid_ ," said Johann thoughtfully. "It's what you might call _Fusion Magic_. It's generally considered such an advanced technique that you can spend your entire life training and never mastering it."

Minerva smiled confident that their victory was assured. ' _The ultimate power of our_ Twin Dragons _, but…_ '

" _Holy Shadow Dragon's Flash Fang!_ " Sting and Rouge yelled.

They then extended their hands forwards and then unleashed a powerful beam of light and shadow directly at Hiccup, who had hadn't moved an inch.

"He's not moving, does he think he can block it?" Skullcrusher frowned.

* * *

Toothless just watched and remember the conversation he had with Hiccup before the match started.

"You two can have your little moment, I'm going in," said Eret as he made his way outside.

"Nothing is wrong," said Toothless looking at Hiccup.

"Good, then I better get outside," said Hiccup as he made his way to the entrance.

"Hold on," said Toothless and Hiccup stopped in his tracks. "I'm not going to say anything. You know what I mean by that?"

Hiccup smiled and looked back at him. "Yeah, I hear ya, partner."

Toothless and extended one of his claws upwards and Hiccup smiled as he did the same as he made his way outside.

* * *

Back in the present the entire crowd was ecstatic as everyone knew that this was the final move from both teams.

"The excitement here is electric within Crocus," said Agnar over roars of the crowd. "We might be seeing history in the making! Can _Dragon Tail_ takeback _Sabretooth_ 's title as Septem's mightiest. Four dragons are squaring off and the battle is so intense that it is smashed through the floor!"

"Eret for some reason has left the action," Johann pointed out.

"Right you are, that means _Dragon Tail's_ Hiccup Haddock has to win the match all by himself."

* * *

In the infirmary, everyone inside noticed how quite it had gotten.

"It's got a rather quiet," Rubbella noted.

"Kinda, but there's a weird tension in the air," Snotlout nodded.

"Can you sense it, Child?" Stormfly asked Merrill.

Merrill nodded. "Yeah, I wonder what it is?"

Ruby just sat there contemplating as he pressed all her faith upon Hiccup and she always had.

"Please, your bandages are just too tight," Rubbella scoffed at Snotlout.

"You're jealous because you can't feel it," Snotlout spat.

"Will you start the old married couple routine," said Gothi.

Immediately the two of them turned on her. "We're not a couple!"

Ruby then held out her finger. "I will always be watching over you, no matter what happens, right?" she said and extended her finger upwards.

The others smiled and then performed the same gesture.

Gothi smiled at them. ' _You've really done. You've taken this group of misfits and made them into a strong and loving family. Bravo._ '

* * *

Within the stands in the Coliseum, Stoick and the other members of _Dragon Tail_ were also raising the fingers up in the air.

Hiccup the First nearly stood there and watch. ' _There are some walls that power alone will never break through, but it is possible to get beyond them. If you harness your feelings._ '

Hiccup stood there as both Sting and Rogue unleashed their most powerful attack yet. He then conjured flames around himself as he put every ounce of feelings he could muster into this one attack.

" _Dragon Slayer Secret Art!_ " Hiccup roared as he begins spinning his arms in a circular fashion " _Crimson Lotus: Plasma Greatsword!_ '

He then created a powerful, and highly destructive, torrent of purple flames. He sent the flames directly towards Sting and Rouge with as much power as he could muster and sliced through their attack. Sting and Rogue just stared as they were consumed by the purple flames and seconds later there was a huge explosion.

The explosion was so powerful that it shook the entire city and deactivated the lacrima screens for a short time.

"Odin's beard, the fighters have unleashed major techniques that clashed sending shock waves all out across the arena," said Agnar. "It seems effect on the lacrima Tronics. Just a technical difficultys, folks. We should be back up soon."

Eventually the shockwaves died down, the shoppers have been so powerful that in the infirmary Snotlout had been literally knocked out of bed and Rubbella helped him up.

"I don't sense any magic power," said Merrill.

"I think the flight might be over you guys," said Snotlout.

Ruby just sat on her bed waiting for the results of the match.

Eventually the lacrima screens are back online.

"All right, ladies and gentlemen it looks like we're back on business," said Agnar. "Sorry for the delay, but who could have seen that coming?"

Everyone watched as Sting and Rogue stood them completely worn out. Eventually they weren't able to stand and began to topple over.

' _Hiccup… Haddock… your power knows no bounds_ ,' said Rouge as she toppled over.

Sting fell to his knees and began to follow her lead. ' _Sorry, Hookfang, I failed. He's just too strong._ '

The last man standing was Hiccup, who looked no worse for wear.

"Unbelievable," Agnar gasped." The last man standing is _Dragon Tail's_ Hiccup Haddock!"

Hiccup the First smiled at his descendant. 'A G _uild is a place where feelings are nurtured_ ,' he said to himself.

The horn then blew signalling the end of the match and Hiccup then raised his finger into the air as he stood triumphant.

"Let's hear it for Hiccup, who single-handedly took down _Sabretooth's Twin Dragon's_!" Agnar cried.

The crowd was happy to oblige as he cheered and clapped louder than they had over the past four days.

Within the infirmary Ruby on Merrill were hugging each other in enjoyment as were Snotlout and Rubbella. However, they quickly realise what they were doing and immediately Rubbella pushed him away.

"It's a huge win for Dragon Tail!" Agnar continued. "They've moved into first place! What an exciting way to end Day Four of the Grand Magic Games! We're giving the fighters a day recuperate and then it started the thrilling conclusion. It's all correlated into one ultimate match, a game that put every team member on the field in a battle royale! Only one Guild can get the title folks. So, you won't want to mess it!"

1st Dragon Tail: 45P

2st Sabretooth: 44P

3nd Valkyrie's Sword: 40P

3rd Thor's Hammer: 40P

5th Blue Pegasus: 30P

6th Blazing Puppy: 15p

"I just knew the Dragons would be on top," Humungously proudly.

"The Guild is certainly one-of-a-kind," Mogadon smirked.

"Stoick, you have certainly some impressive Vikings in your corner," Bertha smiled.

"Thanks to this big turnaround, we have to beat them instead," said Ursula strongly.

Stoick smiled. "Bring it."

" _Dragon Tail_ is going down!" all the competitors cried.

"Let's find, Eret," said Feralan to Arvin and Cavin.

"Astrid," said Camicazi emotionlessly.

"Here I come Heather," said Shanlya.

"Watch out Ragnar, I'm coming," said Lyon.

"Let's see if you have what it takes to be heir, Hiccup," said Jura.

* * *

Hookfang was still crying like you never cried before.

"It will be okay," said Skull in a comforting voice. Though he doubted his own words.

"I can't believe they both got their butts handed to them by one guy," said Orga in disbelief.

Ilos chuckled to himself. "It was fascinating to behold. I have fully committed it to memory."

Orga smirked. "I'm gonna have a lot of fun hanging this over their heads for while."

"Perhaps, you will," said Minerva she walked away. "Of course, that's assuming they have that long."

* * *

Some of the members of the crowd were panicking and moving away from their seats.

"This guy is about to explode!" a guy cried.

The guy in question was none other than Jiemma and say that he was furious would have been an understatement. He was radiating dangerous levels of magic power which was directed at the loss handed to them by Sting and Rogue.

" _Sabretooth's_ Master!" someone cried.

Judging from the look on his face indicated that Sting and Rogue were not going to be shown any mercy when you get back to the hotel.

* * *

Minerva was walking down the hallway, but stopped to look back. "So, your power comes from feelings does it?"

Sting just laid on the ground noticing the scores and then remembered what he had said a Second Day about one point not making a difference. Eret counted saying that one point wasn't something to scoff at and he was right for they were one point behind _Dragon Tail_ now, that one point change the entire game. In annoyance he clenched his fist and mentally kicked himself.

Hiccup then approached them with a smile on his face. "Come face me when you've stopped fighting yourself," he said.

Rouge just laid there on the ground unable to move. ' _A complete and utter loss_ ,' she said to herself. ' _I wonder, could Eret be as strong as fighter as Hiccup? If that's true, how could I have been so arrogant?_ '

Jellal was following the cloud outside following the cloaked figure and this time he wasn't going to lose them.

* * *

Hiccup meanwhile joined the rest of his team in the corridor and Toothless appeared and gave a high five.

"Way to go, pal!" he cheered.

"Let's go and tell Ruby that _Dragon Tail_ is back on top," Hiccup smiled.

"That was awesome, Hiccup," said Ragnar.

"It completely took my breath away," Heather nodded.

"Thanks, guys, it was a lot of fun," Hiccup smiled.

Astrid then grabbed him and pulled him into a kiss. Once she pulled away from him she smiled at him. "You were amazing and show the true heart of our Guild. Maybe your words managed to reach Sting."

"Let's hope," said Hiccup.

"I don't suppose you know where Eret got too?" Skullcrusher asked.

"No idea," Hiccup shrugged.

"Let's try and remember that tomorrow is a day off and then it's onto the final round," said Astrid.

"And all we have to do is take down every single Guild that no doubt looking for the top spot," Heather sighed.

"I can't wait for that," said Ragnar eagerly. "We're going to be number one in Septem again."

"We need to be careful though, everything will be coming for us now," said Hiccup.

"Then bring them on," Astrid smirked.

"At least we're not lacking in enthusiasm," Ragnar chuckled.

"It will be amazing," Heather nodded.

* * *

They soon made their way into the infirmary and found Ruby there waiting for them and everyone else smiled at them.

"It's good to see you," Ruby smiled.

"You're not going to ask how it went?" Hiccup asked.

"I don't need to, I told you that I believe in you since the very day we met."

Hiccup nodded and then looked solemn. "But this still ain't over, where just getting started."

"We've still got to win this thing!" said Merrill enthusiastically. "Well, don't we?"

"Of course, Child," said Stormfly. "We've come this far after all."

"Can you believe that we started at the bottom of the barrel?" said Snotlout shaking his head.

"The audience had the gall to boo us," said Rubbella.

"We suffered defeat and humiliation along the way," Astrid added.

"And now we can practically taste victory," Ragnar finished.

Ruby looked up at Hiccup. "Hiccup, remember what you said? It was like after I lost my fight against Flare, you told me that zero points was a great place to start an epic comeback."

"That's right, we're climbing back up to the top," said Hiccup clutching his fist. " _Dragon Tail_ Vikings never backs down and we're not starting now! Let's win this thing and become the number one Guild of Septem again! You with me?"

"Yeah!" everyone cheered.

' _So much has happened since I first joined this guild. So many tears, so many laughs, so many special moments that I got a share with people that means the world to me. I can be more proud to call myself a member of_ Dragon Tail _._ '

* * *

Meanwhile Eret was wondering around in the dark deep in the catacombs of the Coliseum.

"I should have been watching where I was going," he sighed as he wandered through the caverns. "Now I'm completely lost. I should've marked out my route, but I must still be under the Coliseum."

He then entered into a new craven and his eyes widened. "Whoa, I don't believe."

He was staring at a collection of dragon bones and judging from the way they look they had been here for centuries.

"Is this some kind of dragon graveyard?"

* * *

Meanwhile Jellal was still trying to track down the cloaked figure from before, he had followed them into the streets of the city. However, it is becoming very difficult to track due to it getting so dark.

' _Jellal, what's going on_?' Ultear asked telepathically.

' _Oh no, did they get away again?_ ' Orara asked.

' _No_ ,' said Jellal, who was observing them closely as they walked down the streets. ' _I'm still tailing them. I'm waiting for the opportunity to make my move_.'

' _Understood_ ,' said the girls.

Jellal looked at the cloaked figure. ' _I'm not letting you out of my sight. I need to find out why you remind me so much of Drago. Who are you?_ '

* * *

Vala meanwhile was at the palace looking out of the window when a guard appeared.

"So Hiccup's done it," she said. "He's defeated _Sabretooth_ all by himself."

"You must feel a bit conflicted Sergeant Vala?" said the guard.

"No, my attachment to the Guild has been severed," she said. "I'm fine what's difficult is getting used to be called Sergeant."

"I understand completely, ma'am," the guard nodded. "But your involvement with Eclipse requires a rank, it's a military project after all. You'll get used to it soon enough."

Vala's expression then darkened. "This is important undertaking. I am prepared to do whatever is required of me to ensure the success of this operation. And I am very grateful to Throk for extending his invitation." She then looked up. "Wait, I suppose I should call him Captain instead."

"Don't worry about it, I usually call him sir myself," said the guard. "He's a very loyal to the king and the Royal family despite his humble background."

"Is that so," said Vala and she looked down into the gardens where Throk was walking around. "He doesn't let on much about his past. It's bizarre, he's trying to save the world but nobody knows about it."

* * *

Stormfly then witnessed the same images of Ruby singing and the collapse of the Palace and this did not go unnoticed by the others.

"What's up?" Merrill asked. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," Stormfly lied. ' _Those same strange premonitions again. The palace crashing down_ …'

"Did you hear we won!" Fishlegs cried as she, Helga and Ingrid made their way into the infirmary.

"Hey guys," Ruby smiled.

"Are you two starting to feel better?" Helga asked.

"I bought some food," said Ingrid holding out a basket of food.

"If we can keep our spirits up were going to win this thing after all!" Fishlegs yelled cheerfully.

"Oh yeah," Ruby nodded. "There's no way _Team Dragon Tail_ will lose now."

"That's right," Ingrid nodded. "Especially after saying that fight today."

"We're on a real hot streak and there's just one more to go," said Helga excitedly.

"Have you guys seen Eret?" Fishlegs asked.

"I haven't seen him before the fight," said Snotlout.

Ruby looked up. "What? He's not back yet?"

"He's probably just lost track of time," said Snotlout dismissively.

Ruby nodded. "He'll be back before too long."

"Sure he will," Ruby nodded.

* * *

' _It was nice, everyone was positive that we were winning. Then the fight on that final day was so intense, it's something I will never forget. That happiness was such a contrast to what was too come and on that fateful day, July 7th… when everything we had hoped for turned to ash_ ,' Fishlegs wrote.

Fishlegs was residing in a small shack of a house as the entire city around him was burned to the ground. He had scars and was covered in bandages and was writing on a piece of ruined paper with his hands shaking with every word he wrote.

' _First they died, then we lost… we loved them so much, but…_ ' He then started to use began pouring down the paper he was writing on. ' _I can barely even write this, please Hiccup I cannot take it anymore. I just want someone to help me!_ '

* * *

Jellal was still following the cloaked figure all across the city and he had a feeling that they knew that he was following them near that did not concern them. Eventually they reached the terrace that overlooks the city and he had had enough.

"Stop right there," Jellal ordered. He then approached the figure removing his mask. "Reveal your identity, I have already revealed mine."

The wind then blew growing the robed figures robe away from his feet. Then Jellal noticed something peculiar. "A prosthetic?"

When the wind died down the cloaked figure turned around to face him and his eyes widened once he saw his face. "No way!"


	51. King of the Dragons

Ruby awoke to find herself in Crocus, but the once wondrous said he was nothing more than burned-out trouble now.

"Can't believe it," she stared in horror. "They're all gone."

She then turned and saw the Palace crumbling and flying overhead have to be hundreds if not thousands of dragons. One of the dragons unleashed a burst of flames down upon the land causing massive explosions.

Ruby looked up and saw a dragon heading straight down towards and it opened its mouth ready to unleash its flames down upon. It then unleashed its flames, but then the frames dispelled and standing there was Hiccup absorbing the flames into his body.

"Glad to see you're alive," he said weakly

Astrid noticed that it left arm was missing on the stump was wrapped around with his hoody. He was in his armour which was practically falling apart and his right eye had a huge scar running across it. He was also heavily bandaged, which told her that he was already wounded before this entire event started.

"I don't know how these things appeared, but the spreading across the continent," said Hiccup. Then a dragon landed right in front of them. "We have to get out of here now!"

"What about the others?" Ruby asked.

"You're the only one I've found so far," he said. "If any of the others did survive we'll meet up at an old _Dragon Tail_ hideout." He then helped Ruby up with his one good arm. "We need to find out where they came from and how to stop them."

* * *

In the non-destroyed city of Crocus, Hiccup and the other members of _Dragon Tail_ were enjoying their day off and were still celebrating their victory in the Games.

"That was quite the fight, Hiccup," said Ragnar. "It went back in. Many times I had no idea it was going to win."

"Dear be honest nearly did I," said Hiccup rubbing the back of his head with a smile.

"It was certainly a nerve wracking," said Toothless.

"We can see the fight and knew that due to the Coliseum shaking," said Stormfly.

"Yeah, it was a bit frightening," Merrill nodded.

"I have never seen a fight like that in my life," said Skullcrusher.

"When you guys were facedown on the floor, I thought it was all over," said Heather.

"Yeah, they pull themselves together and Hiccup brought us a win," said Ruby, who was now out of the infirmary and fully healed.

"You know maybe we shouldn't talk about it so often," said Adelaide. "The fight was yesterday after all."

"If they want to celebrate their victory let them celebrate," said Stoick, who was drinking mead with Gobber and Spitelout.

"Though we should prepare ourselves but tomorrow," said Astrid looking at everyone. "Everyone will be gunning for us in the battle royale, especially _Sabretooth_."

"I'm sure you're all going to win it," Merrill smiled.

Adelaide looked at Merrill curiously. "Merrill really is something else. She's kind, gentle and a very skilled healer, but it's crazy because on the flipside she's been trained to fight even slay dragons."

"No kidding," Snotlout nodded, who was also healed up and out of the infirmary. "Not something I would have expected for Dragon Slayer, even Hiccup has shown massive amount of anger and destructive power whenever he gets out of control."

Hiccup looked at the rest of his team. "Look guys, we just need to prove to everyone that _Dragon Tail_ is still the number one Guild and we have certainly made some fine progress on that. However, if were not careful we could easily lose it in the next event especially with the other Guilds gunning for us."

"Yeah, let's just be thankful that _Raven Tail's_ been disqualified," said Ruby thankfully. "I mean undoubtedly the other guilds would do anything underhanded, but they might have tried to attack us to knock us out of the running."

"We definitely need to be careful," Astrid nodded. "Though I wonder if _Sabretooth_ is going to be the same. Remember what happened to Vala when she lost her match, the guild master might just knock Sting and Rogue out of the Guild for their loss."

"This late in the game?" Ragnar blinked. "Come on, they might have lost of those two are still five the strongest members of the Guild and replacing them especially this crucial part of the game seemed a bit stupid."

"It does seem unlikely," Heather nodded.

"Somehow I don't think their Guild Master care how strong they are," Hiccup frowned. "He seems to care more about strength and one single loss, one show of weakness to him is unacceptable. It's what you got rid of Vala and humiliated the poor girl."

The door then opened and everyone turned and found Eret had just entered the inn. The Exceeds were the first to notice him

"Eret?" the Exceeds stared.

"Finally I found my way out," he muttered. "Took me an entire day to navigate those catacombs."

"Eret, we were starting to get concerned," said Hiccup as he made his way over towards them.

"I take it from all the celebrating that you want your match," said Eret.

"Yep," Hiccup nodded. "But what happened to you?"

Eret turned serious and looked at Hiccup and Merrill. "You two come with me, now!" he ordered. "I've got something to show you."

Hiccup frowned.

* * *

Meanwhile the people of Crocus were starting to get very excited for tomorrow.

" _Dragon Tail_ is kicking tail."

"They just might win this thing!"

"In your dreams."

"Is it me or did _Sabretooth_ kinder sucked?"

"Yeah, totally!"

"Sabretooth ain't giving up without a fight just you watch, they'll own the finals!"

* * *

Meanwhile at the hotel Sabretooth were staying at Jiemma was staring disapprovingly at Sting and Rogue, who had been patched up after their fight with Hiccup.

"Well, Sting, Rogue, what should I do with you two?" he glared.

Sting and Rogue just stood there and said nothing.

Jiemma narrowed his eyes. "No answer, huh? I thought that you were _true Dragon Slayers_ , you used to love reminding us. Always telling us that you're epitome of strength, isn't that right? So imagine my surprise when you shamelessly got your asses handed to ya by another _Dragon Slayer_! What do you have to say for yourselves?"

"You spell it out clearly we were defeated," said Rouge. "Hiccup was… somehow able to subdue us without using the full extent of his power." She then clinched her fist. "He possesses strength far beyond what we imagined, he maybe unbeatable."

In fury, Jiemma got to his feet and approached them crushing the floor as he walked until he was directly in front of them.

"That sounds like the whining of are we going to me," he glared. "Is that what I'm hearing? Well…? I don't recall asking to hear your pitiful excuses, Rogue! And I never asked to embarrass me like this!" Then suddenly he unleashed a powerful burst of power as a purple aura covered his body. "You disgraced our name as the mightiest Guild!"

He then unleashed so much power that it's end of the two of them flying into the walls.

"Sting!" Hookfang cried rushing over to Sting.

"Rogue!" Skull yelled rushing over towards Rogue.

"Worm like you ain't fit to call themselves members of _Sabretooth_!" Jiemma roared and began tossing them around the room as if they were ragdolls. "Get out! I don't want to see your faces here again! Our guild has no room for losers! That is how we remain strong!"

"Ah, come on Master," said Hookfang nervously. "Sting and Rogue tried their best isn't that what matters the most?" Jiemma quickly turned on him and his eyes widened. "I know Sting lost but that's okay, he still gave the fighters all and I'm proud of him."

"Hookfang," said Sting looking at him with concern.

"If you want my opinion, you gotta lose sometimes or you'll never grow as a person," Hookfang continued. "This defeat gave Sting a chance to learn a lot about himself and his opponent. So why not just let us ride?"

"Who the hell are you?" Jiemma asked narrowing his eyes.

Hookfang stared at him and pulled his shirt up to reveal the _Sabretooth_ emblem. "What do you mean, Master? I'm a bona fide member, I've even got the Sabre crest to prove it. Don't you see?"

Jiemma saw all right, which was a bad thing, because his rage was now 10 times stronger than before.

"This is a total abomination!" he roared. "Who defiled our Guild secret Guild crest by placing it upon this mangy looking creature?"

He then extended his hand forward unleashing a massive burst of magic and everyone watched as rubble flew in all directions.

"Help me Sting!" Hookfang's voice cried getting further and further away.

"No! Hookfang!" Sting cried.

When the light finally died down there was nothing left of Hookfang except a scorched piece of carpet where he once stood.

"He… he killed him," Skull stared horrified.

Tears were now rushing down Sting's cheeks and Rogue quickly grabbed Skull and hid him behind her.

"Skull," she said shakily.

"Why would he do something like that?" Skull stared.

"It got what it deserved," said Jiemma distastefully. "If you're smart you'll remove your emblem before you join the fleabag."

Sting, however, wasn't listening and was still crying over the loss of Hookfang.

"Would you start your damn blubbering!" Jiemma glared.

"What have you done?" said Sting crying into his hands. "What the hell have you done?"

"Silence!" Jiemma roared. "It was just a lousy cat."

Sting stopped crying and looked at him in range and then suddenly from out of nowhere he unleashed a powerful beam of light which went straight through Jiemma's chest. It was the most powerful attack he unleashed and everyone just stared at him in bewilderment.

Minerva looked at Sting and smiled. "So be it," she said.

* * *

Meanwhile Jellal was explaining his encounter with the strange robed figure, or their identity and what they had told him to both Ultear and Orara.

"Are you serious?" Ultear stared. She then shook her head in disbelief. "I don't believe it, if this is some joke then it's in very poor taste."

"I'm afraid we gravely mistook the gravity of the situation," said Jellal looking at them. "If there is a joke in this is that our fate is already sealed. The case that will change the world, the Eclipse. The Dragon King Festival."

* * *

Eret was leading Hiccup and Merrill into the catacombs had found himself in earlier both of whom were very confused.

"So… um, what did you find out here?" Merrill asked.

"You'll see soon enough," said Eret.

"Why did you only bring us?" Hiccup asked curiously.

Their Exceeds partners were also with them also wondering why they had broken down here.

"I'm wondering if he found something that has something to do with _Dragon Slayer Magic_ ," Toothless pondered.

"Possibly," Skullcrusher nodded.

"So then… why did the gawkers tag along?" Stormfly looking at both Ruby and Ragnar, who were behind them.

"Excuse us from being gawkers," said Ragnar folding his arms.

"We can't help but be curious," said Ruby innocently.

* * *

Eventually they reached into a large cavern and Eret came to a stop. "This is it," he said.

"Look over there!" Merrill stared.

"What are those things?" Ragnar asked.

"They look like giant bones," Ruby breathed.

Hiccup's face darkened. "These aren't just any bones these are all dragon remains."

All of them had eyes widened, because the cavern was indeed littered with ancient dragon bones. There had to be hundreds of them and they looked at them in awe.

"All these used to be dragons?" Toothless stared.

"There are so many," Stormfly stared with her paws covering her mouth.

"If you ever wanted prove that they existed, here it is," said Skullcrusher.

"But what are they doing?" Ragnar asked as they walked through the mass graveyard.

"Who knows," said Eret.

"Well I would like to that's for sure," said Hiccup. "For instance why would there be piles and piles of them like this?"

"Something bad must've happened here," Ruby theorised.

"This certainly does raise some questions," Toothless agreed. "Like whether Ingeel is here."

"Toothless," Stormfly scolded.

Toothless immediately covered his mouth knowing that it was a sensitive subject. "My bad," he said.

Hiccup shook his head firmly. "No, he ain't here."

Eret nodded. "Yeah, it's only been nine years since our dragons upped and vanished. Looking at these bones I say they've been here for a lot longer than that."

Merrill's eyes lit up. "That might work."

"What was that Merrill?" Ruby asked.

"The _Endless Sea_ spell," she said looking at them. "It one of the new _Dragon Slayer Secret Art_ that Grandeeney passed down to me. ' _Hear the voices of the dragon spirit that leads to the river of heaven._ ' When I was first learning I assumed that it was some kind of attack, but I just had a thought. What if… if it's something else entirely? It's possible that the spell will allow us to hear the voices of dragons that passed on."

"You think?" Eret blinked.

"Seriously?" Hiccup stared.

"If we can somehow commune with the spirits of the dragons then one of them might be able to tell us what happened here and we might finally be able to find why our dragons vanished," said Merrill.

* * *

Meanwhile in an alleyway, the robed figure that Jellal had met earlier was writing in a notebook. His left arm was a prosthetic and he began writing with it, but then a stranger appeared out of nowhere.

"Hey, you this area is off-limits!" he yelled.

The robed figure quickly got to their feet and ran off dropping the notebook along the way.

"Halt!" he yelled, but the cloaked figure was fast and ran down the corner. He then noticed the notebook and picked it up. "Looks like they were writing something down in here. ' _July 7th the Eclipse Project…_ '" He stopped midway and blinked. "' _The Dragon King Festival?_ ' What is this?"

* * *

Meanwhile in the catacombs, Merrill was finishing drawing a Magic Circle in the dirt.

"Just as I thought," she said. "I got these characters wrong before because I assumed they were used for an attack spell."

"A Magic Circle?" Ruby blinked.

"She hasn't fully mastered the spell yet so she has to write it out," Hiccup explained.

"With any luck it will help us," said Stormfly.

"Still amazed that you'll be able to communicate with the dead with that spell," Toothless frowned.

"Here we go," said Merrill making the corrections to the Magic Circle. She then looked at the others. "I need everybody to step away from the circle."

She then noted down and began to chant. " _Oh, wandering spirits of dragons long past. Reveal yourself and share your wisdom with me. Endless Sea!_ "

Immediately the magic circle she wrote began to glow. It created a massive column of light that reached the ceiling and began to spread across the cavern like a massive sea.

"It's working," Hiccup smiled.

"Beautiful," said Ruby in awe.

The lights then shone over the dragon bones and they began to shake.

"The bones," Ruby gasped and hid behind Ragnar.

"Talk to us, Merrill," said Ragnar. "What's happening?"

"I'm trying to contact a dragon's spirit, but the residual body energy lingering down here is weak. It's incredibly old and is fading," said Merrill. Her eyes then widened. "I found one!"

She then put everything he had into concentration and focus on that one dragon spirit. Everyone watched as the great wave of water began to centre itself and they could tell that something was beginning to form.

"Are you sure that's a dragon spirit?" Skullcrusher asked.

"Merrill?" Toothless asked.

"Quiet, she needs to be concentrating," said Stormfly.

Then suddenly a giant reptilian claw emerged from the sea of magic.

"What in the name of Thor?" Ragnar stared.

Appearing directly in front of them was a dragon as big as the temple with six small and scrawny legs, two wings and two big and strong arms. Its wings were just as small as its legs, but looking at them you could tell that they were strong enough to lift the larger dragon. Its scales were completely green and it roared loudly causing them to scream.

The dragon then laughed. "Even in death, scaring the pants off humans is hilarious."

They all just stared at him blankly.

"My name is Zirconis, a Thunderpede, they called me the Jade Dragon back in my day," he said looking at them. He then looked around curiously. "I'm impressed that you were able to conjure my spirit seems like the handiwork of the Sea Dragon Grandeeney. Which one of you was it?" He then saw Merrill. "Ah, how adorable. So it was this tiny Dragon Slayer, who woke me hey."

"How about we get down to business," said Hiccup approaching him.

Zirconis looked at him curiously. "You bear a strong resemblance to someone to an elf in my day."

"You're probably talking about my ancestor," said Hiccup.

"Ah, of course you're Hiccup the First descendants," Zirconis nodded.

"Can you tell us what happened here?" Stormfly asked.

"We were wondering why there was so many dragon bones line around," said Toothless.

"Learning their fate is the reason why we decided to summon you in the first place," Skullcrusher explained.

"I have no interest in talking with humans or elves," said Ziconis sternly.

"Not like you have much choice," said Hiccup.

Zirconis grumbled. "Fine. It all began about 1000 years ago, the dragon kind once ruled every corner of the globe. We soared through the sky, raised over the land and swam the great oceans. Everything in the world belonged to dragon kind, including the other races.

"While the elves were strong, the humans were not so much leaving them quite vulnerable for our people to eat. But there was one dragon, who felt the reign was unjust what a fool," he added bitterly.

"He's zealously spread the idea of a world where we can coexisted with the other races. As with every fanatic idea there were some that fully agreed and son that opposed it out right. It wasn't long before war broke out, I myself fought against the fanatics."

Ruby stared at him. "Huh, so does that mean you're against us?"

"True, I do look down on the other races unless I'm going to eat them," Zirconis nodded.

"Hang on, I thought that Drago Bludvist was the one that started the Dragon Wars?" Hiccup frowned.

"Oh, he's only played a big part in it," Zirconis nodded. "However, he did not join in till later in the war. The war raged for 300 years and both sides were evenly matched, the fighting was so brutal that entire continent were left barren and scarred, the Elven kingdom was crumbling around, the dwarfs appeared underground in order to survive and the humans were scattered into many tribes finding ways to survive the fighting.

"However, the dragons that supported coexistence came up with a plan that doomed us all. They grounded humans and elves what will become to know as _Dragon Slayer Magic_ and with this new power in hand the other races soon joined the war under the leadership of a small Elven boy who went by the name of Hiccup."

"So the first _Dragon Slayers_ was some kind of ancient warriors," said Toothless.

Ziconis nodded. "The _Dragon Slayers_ immeasurable power quickly turned the tide of the war we were so overwhelmed that victory seemed certain for the dragons on the other side. But no one predicted the travesty that would come to pass. Two things lead to destruction of the dragon race, first was Drago Bludvist, who had lost his family and arm to the Dragon War and after seeing our strength wanted to control us. He developed a powerful form of magic that enslaved many dragons which led to a three-way war that destroyed both sides.

"However, the second problem came in the form of the _Dragon Slayers_ who became so powerful that they turned on the very dragons that had given them their strength. It was a massacre, there was one man who's power was so terrible he believed the countryside in the blood of my kin. The very mention of his name still scares me. This man slayed countless dragons and soak in their blood, he used his powers so often that his skin turned to scales, his teeth sharpened into fangs and he stopped being human altogether."

Ruby began to shake uncontrollably. "Are you saying? That he turned into a dragon?"

"That is the fate that awaits all who practice _Dragon Slayers Magic_ ," said Ziconis. "All the bones you see here belonged to the victims of that monster. Despite his human origins, he became the King of all dragon kind and the war he gave rise to became to be known as the Dragon King Festival, his name was Acnologia. One is a human being, now a dragon, who's breath is as cold as Niflheim."

Everyone's eyes widened, because they all knew that dragon.

"Acnologia?" Ruby stared horrified. "That's the dragon we fought on Cove Island. _Dragon Tail's_ strongest members threw everything they had at it, but that monster just kept coming we couldn't even phase it."

"You're saying that it used to be human?" Ragnar stared.

"Impossible," said Eret.

Hiccup just stood there stunned.

"Most of my races now rots in the ground thanks to Acnologia the others just vanished without a trace. All of this happened in the distant past, but you and I…"

Then suddenly he faded away.

"What happened?" Hiccup asked.

"He's gone," said Ragnar.

"Hey, you were trying to tell us something!" Eret yelled.

"Merrill!" Toothless and Stormfly cried rushing over to the elf.

The magic that surrounded Merrill soon vanished. "I'm sorry, any thought energy he had left is completely gone now. But where ever he is unsure he'll finally get some long needed peace."

"Looks like we got ourselves into another situation," said Ragnar.

"We wanted answers and yet we got more questions," said Hiccup. "Some of his story doesn't add up, I mean if the First is an ancient _Dragon Slayer_ how come he didn't turn into a dragon."

"Yeah, that's a good point," Eret nodded. "And also what happened to the other dragons he mentioned."

"My head hurts," said Merrill rubbing her head. "Are we going to turn into dragons?"

"That's not very likely," said a new voice.

"Who's there?" said Merrill turning around.

They turned and saw Throk looking down at them on one of the rock formations above them and he wasn't alone next to him was Vala wearing a royal guard uniform.

"I took the liberty of eavesdropping, it would appear that our research is in line with historical fact after all," he said. "Tell me have you heard of the Demons of the Book of Drago?"

Ragnar certainly knew one of them, the one that killed his mother, wiped out entire town and killed his Master. ' _Deliora_ ,' he growled to himself.

"Acnologia is similar to them for it was Drago himself who turned the _Dragon Slayer_ into that creature of death," said Throk.

"Really?" Toothless blinked.

"That means if you wish to conquer the Black Dragon you first must find a way doesn't do the Black Tyrant, Drago," Throk continued.

"Who are you?" Eret demanded.

"And how do we beat Drago?" Hiccup asked.

Ruby then noticed Vala was with him. "Vala is that you?"

Stormfly recognised the man instantly from one of her premonitions. ' _In my visions I saw man in white armour, the castle crumbling and Ruby singing_.' Stormfly then looked at Ruby.


	52. The Eclipse Project

Throk and Vala made their way down towards them so they can meet them face-to-face.

"I am Captain Throk, commander of his Majesty's Vanguard and sworn to protect his Majesty and the Royal family," said Throk.

"And I am Vala Starlight, acting Sergeant of the Vanguard," said Vala.

"So what exactly does the military have down here anyway?" Ragnar asked curiously.

Ruby frowned at Vala. "I don't get it, you're in the army?"

"But would you the Sabretooth Guild a couple of days ago?" Skullcrusher frowned.

"Did you join the army after those guys kicked you out?" Toothless asked.

"Yes, in a manner of speaking," Vala nodded.

"Please allow me to explain," said Throk. "For the past several years I have been working on a highly classified project, but its success acquires the only a _Celestial Viking_ can provide. Luckily Sergeant Vala is able to lend her assistance in this undertaking."

"A _Celestial Viking_?" Ruby blinked.

"Excuse me, so you specifically needed that type of magic power?" Merrill asked. "To do what though?"

"So what exactly is this classified project?" Hiccup asked folding his arms. "And more importantly what are you doing down here in the dragon graveyard, which is so conveniently beneath the Coliseum?"

Throk smiled. "The one and only Hiccup Haddock, it's an honour to make your acquaintance. I applaud your recent victory in battle."

"Skip the flattery and get to the point," said Hiccup looking at him strongly. "I'm curious to know why you need a _Celestial Viking_ in the first place. Excuse my hostility, but maybe my guild have recently faced a plot that used _Celestial Vikings_ the flung the world into chaos."

"Easy," said Ragnar calmly.

"I guess the finding the dragon bones down here really set off," said Toothless looking concerned.

"I don't blame, I would feel the same in his position," said Skullcrusher.

Stormfly remain silent and remembered the image that entered into her mind. ' _A warrior in white armour_.'

Throk looked at him and then turned away. "Follow me, please."

"You too Ruby," said Vala looking at her. "You should come along with us. If our plan is indeed successful both Drago and Acnologia will be defeated as a result."

Hiccup looked very sceptical.

"Do you really think you can do that?" Merrill blinked.

* * *

Throk soon led them to the Palace much to their surprise.

"Boy, the Palace looks even bigger in person," said Hiccup.

"No kidding," said Ragnar.

"This is his Majesty's home," said Throk.

"It certainly is fit for a king," said Skullcrusher.

"Are you really sure it's okay for us to go inside?" Toothless asked.

"Yes, but before we do I would like to give Miss Ruby my humble apologies," said Throk, as he led them down the corridor. "My misguided actions put her directly in harm's way."

"What do you mean by that?" Hiccup frowned.

Stormfly looked up. "Hold on, are you talking about that bunch of goons that accidentally kidnapped Merrill and I?"

"You were the one behind all of that?" Ruby stared.

"My intention was never to put you in any real danger," said Throk solemnly. "But I was far too aggressive with my orders. I falsely believe you were our only hope for the _Celestial Viking_ we so desperately needed. It was a lapse of judgement, I ask for your forgiveness."

Everyone just remain quiet, because they found it hard to forgive him for kidnapping and endangering a member of the Guild.

"Entry of the Grand Magic games is a ruse," Throk continued. "Or rather a mechanism for siphoning magic power from the participants."

"So you been stealing power from Vikings years now?" said Ragnar narrowing in his eyes.

"It's all a big cover-up!" Toothless yelled looking completely outraged.

"How deplorable," said Stormfly distastefully.

"That's messed up," Eret agreed.

"You can say that again," Skullcrusher nodded.

"You're certainly entitled to your opinions on the matter, but I firmly believe that the ends justify the means in this case," said Throk.

They suddenly came to a stop and all of them stared, because facing them was the Eclipse Gate and none of them had ever seen anything like it before.

"What's that?" Merrill asked.

"Eclipse," said Throk. "The door that will change the world. Without massive amount of magic power it could never have been constructed."

"It's a door?" Ruby blinked.

"To where?" Hiccup asked.

"When the sun and moon intercept we will then use the Celestial Zodiac Keys to open this door," said Throk looking at them. "What lies beyond it is time itself, it will allow us to travel 800 years into the past and slay Drago before he gains the power of immortality. His destruction is our ultimate goal."

Everyone just stared open eyed unable to believe what they had just heard.

"But how is that even possible?" said Ruby speaking at last.

"We believe that it was created by someone known as the Chronicler for this very purpose," said Throk.

"I've heard that name two times now," said Hiccup frowning. "From what we heard she records the events of the world, but never interfere with the worldly affairs."

"Indeed that is our hypothesis as well," said Throk.

Vala looked at Ruby. "Is it true that time flows differently in the Celestial world than it does in ours?"

"Yeah, it does actually," Ruby nodded still quite stunned.

"We would like to utilise the unique dimension of properties their world possesses. Therefore to open up this door we need _Celestial Magic_ ," Vala explained.

"Since _Celestial Vikings_ a so scarce these days we thought we might have to resort to a substitute source of power, but now that we've located the two of you and all 12 Zodiac keys the plan can proceed as it was intended," Throk explained. "The time for action is almost upon us. When the sun and moon intercept, this will occur three days from now on July 7th, we ask for your help Miss Ruby."

"7th July?" said Hiccup suspiciously. "That's the day I met Ingeel."

"The same day that I met, Grandeeney," Merrill added.

"Same here, that's an awful big coincidence," said Eret suspiciously.

"The door is supposed to open when the sun and moon intercept," said Ragnar.

"The eclipse," said a new voice.

A split second later they found themselves completely surrounded palace guards.

"You there! Stay right where you are!" one of the guards warned.

"Royal soldiers?" Merrill stared.

"We're doing nothing wrong," said Stormfly.

"Is there a problem?" Hiccup asked.

"What's going on?" Ruby asked in a panic voice.

"Did you come here looking for a fight?" Ragnar asked.

"It would be wise for you to surrender quietly before things get messy Captain Throk," said a voice from before.

Throk turned around and saw a pricking his way through the guard was Minister Darton. "Defence Minister Darton?" he stared. "What is the meaning of this?"

"It should be you who is answering that question," said Darton narrowing his eyes. "Why are you here? You are aware revealing state secrets to outsiders is treason."

"You're making a mistake," Throk roared. "These people are not outsiders they are an essential component to the Eclipse Project!"

"You do not have the authority to make such reckless decisions on your own, Captain," Darton reminded.

"I will not allow your opposition to jeopardise the safety of the kingdom," said Throk making his way towards him, but was stopped when two guards pressed their spears against him. "Call of your men and end this ridiculous farce immediately!"

"You are way out of line here!" Darton yelled angrily. "This plan of yours will alter history! Don't you realise that you're putting our entire civilisation at risk? Now stand down!"

"Seems as if not everyone agrees with this plan?" Hiccup noted.

"And we got caught right in the middle of it," Ruby groaned.

"I'll say," said Ragnar looking at the guards.

"They're going to change history," Merrill stared.

"But if they go back and change the past…" Toothless began.

"The present and future will change as well," Stormfly finished.

"Quite the disturbing concept," said Skullcrusher.

"Captain Throk, you are under arrest were treason against the Kingdom of Septem!" Darton roared. "Take the _Celestial Vikings_ into custody as well, they are accessories to this crime. Remove the others at once!"

"Yes, sir," the guard acknowledged.

"Say what?" Ragnar stared.

"But I haven't committed any crime," Ruby cried.

Hiccup immediately turned towards Darton. "I'm only giving you this one warning, if you want her you have to go through me," he said producing flames from his hand.

"No! Stop!" Throk yelled. "You cannot use magic here!"

Hiccup stared at him in confusion, but then suddenly the Eclipse Gate began to glow. A split second later, Hiccup told all his strength exiting from his body.

"What's happening to me?" Hiccup yelled weakly.

"Hiccup!" Ruby cried trying to run towards him, but two guards grabbed her.

"Did the Captain not inform you, the Games are just a way of stealing magic power to feed the Eclipse," said Darton. "It is extremely effective tool, in fact if the Viking was to activate the spell this close to the device the Eclipse would completely drain all their magic power."

Eventually the Eclipse Gate stopped absorbing magic power from Hiccup and then he collapsed to the ground completely exhausted.

"I hope you won't cause any more trouble," said Darton as the guards approached Hiccup's body. "After all a Viking incapable of using magic is hardly a threat to a group of Royal soldiers."

"Get your dirty hands off me!" Ruby cried as he struggled to break free of the grip of the soldiers.

"If you are soldiers then you serve under Captain Throk come and don't you!" Vala cried.

"Ruby!" Ragnar yelled finding it impossible to get anywhere close to her.

"Please don't take them away," Merrill begged.

"Damn you, Darton!" Throk roared.

"I will not allow the Eclipse plan to proceed," said Darton strongly.

* * *

A few moments later they were outside the palace, Hiccup was still unconscious and was now in Merrill's lap. Darton and his guards prevented them from re-entering the Palace and he refused to give them Ruby either.

"Poor Hiccup," said Toothless looking at his friend worriedly.

"He's lost all of his power. It will take quite a while to recover," said Stormfly.

Eret glared at Darton and guards. "You bastards!"

"Please you misunderstand that my intention was never to harm anyone, but there is simply too much at stake," said Darton, who had his back towards them. "However, I offer you somewhat of an olive branch for your trouble. How have you know that his Majesty is extremely fond of the _Dragon Tail Guild_. If you can manage to claim victory in the Grand Magic Games I shall grant you a private audience with him. The King is a rather kindhearted man, who knows he might even be persuaded to pardon your comrade. I wish you the best of luck."

They watched as Darton and his men made their way back inside the Palace.

"Ruby," said Hiccup weakly.

* * *

When they were turned back to the Guild they inform the rest of the Guild do what happened and it cause a bit of an uproar.

"What the hell?" Alvin stared.

"Ruby has been taken into custody?" said Astrid in bewilderment.

"The thing that she would be involved in some sort of top-secret plot is utterly ridiculous," Stoick growled with frustration slamming his hand on the table.

"Let me get this straight, we take the top spot we can ask her back, but that's only if his Highness allows it," said Alvin sceptically.

"Personally I have a hard time believing what the Minister said," said Ragnar honestly.

Heather nodded. "I feel the same."

"Like or not we don't have many options," said Hiccup, who had regained consciousness. "I mean we can't attack the palace like we did with Phantom Lord, the Viking Council will certainly act and we would be lucky not to be put in jail."

Merrill was busy restoring his energy with her _Healing Magic_. "You shouldn't really be talking until you're fully healed," she said.

"He does have a point though," said Stormfly.

"Yeah, we certainly have to be careful how we proceed," Toothless agreed.

"Master," said Astrid looking at Stoick.

"Hiccup's right, we can't afford to take reckless action against the kingdom and they surely don't want word to spread that they mistreat innocent civilians," said Stoick rubbing his beard. "But I suppose we should consider her a hostage until the _Eclipse Project_ of theirs is called off."

"They certainly got us by the ear," Alvin grumbled.

"She's a hostage," Astrid frowned.

"There's one thing I really don't understand, if all of us know about this big secret their trying to hide why did they walk us away three?" Eret frowned.

"Captain Throk certainly seems to be the target and they are after so maybe they let you go so that you can testify to them later," Skullcrusher offered.

"I don't know," said Toothless looking unsure.

"It would still be risking their secret getting out," Stormfly agreed.

"Perhaps they think that it can't be kept secret much longer," Astrid frowned folding her arms.

"It is a bit weird that they didn't keep us there," said Ragnar. "Nobody would have found out about it."

"That's true," Heather nodded.

"I'm not so sure about that," said Valka thoughtfully. "You are all on the first place team in the games, high profile. It would be pretty suspicious if you are holding show up for the final match tomorrow."

"They could be using Ruby is leveraged so that we won't spill the beans," said Hiccup. "Imagine the chaos that would happen if the people found out the true agenda of the Grand Magic Games."

"Good point, I can't imagine the kingdom doesn't want to get on the bad side of every Viking Guild in the country," Heather agreed.

"The Royal Army isn't known for acting rationally and taking civilians for no reason, if we knew what the real justification for her capture was perhaps we can use that to help her," said Astrid.

"We have to do something, but the question is what," said Hiccup as he pulled himself up.

"A member of our family has been taken against her will," said Stoick looking at everyone. "Believe me, we all want justice right now. That being said, Hiccup is right, we cannot just headlong into conflict like we usually do it's too risky. However, we are not cowards and we will not let them get away with this! We are _Dragon Tail_!"

* * *

Meanwhile in the Palace dungeons, Ruby was sharing a cell with Vala wondering how she got herself into this mess.

"I never wanted you to be dragged into this," said Vala sincerely. "I'm so sorry, but I've always been a bad luck charm."

Ruby looked at her. "Don't beat yourself up, instead of feeling sorry for ourselves let's figure out how to get out of here."

Vala looked up at her. "You're right, but…"

"The first order of business when we blow this joint is getting our keys back," said Ruby turning back to the iron bars of their cell.

"I'm sorry I let this happen," said Vala apologetically.

Ruby looked back at her. "Seriously, it's totally not your fault." Vala just remain quiet as she looked back to the cell doors. "It seems to me we got caught up into some sort of power struggle within the government. Are they just fighting over whether or not that _Eclipse Project_ , or whatever, should be happening? To be perfectly honest I don't know enough to have a real opinion on it."

"They should," said Vala quietly. "They should go forward with it." Ruby then looked back at her. "A long time ago, I had a big sister. Her name was Shiva. I was always messing things up and getting into trouble, my parents were constantly getting angry with me that time after time my sister stood up for me.

"She was so sweet and beautiful, I was so lucky to have a sister like her. But then one night my village was invaded by a cult that worshipped Drago. They killed our parents and took my sister away, I wanted to help, but all I could do was run for my life. The Eclipse is the only hope we have of defeating Drago, I just wanted to have my family back that's all."

She then began to cry and Ruby looked to the stone floor.

' _So, if he was gone they might not never had been taken away_ ,' said Ruby quietly to herself. ' _But there's no guarantee that the world would change the way we wanted to. We don't have that kind of control that's why it's such a risky thing and why some people are trying to stop it and nobody knows that it's even possible. Can you really go back and change the past?_ '

* * *

The next morning, was the final day of the Grand Magic Games and say that the crowd was ecstatic would have been an understatement. To mark this event fireworks were being launched into the sky until was filled with different colours and confetti was being flung into the air and raining down onto the crowd.

"This is what we've all been waiting for folks," said Agnar. "It has been an exciting week with incredible magic energy and emotion that we will never forget! But today one Guild will be crowned number one of Septem and the winner of the Grand Magic Games! Ladies and gentlemen it has been an honour to spend this time with you and my commentator the esteemed Johann."

"My pleasure," said Johann.

"We have a very special guest with us today," said Agnar. "He is none other than the revelry of the Grand Magic Games, Mindor."

"It is an honour to be here," said Mindor.

"Usually you're in the arena, but not today," said Agnar.

"Indeed my presence will not be necessary, because today's event is quite something special," Mindor nodded. "The final match!"

The entire crowd cheered loudly across the Coliseum.

"Now let's get things started and bring out all the competitors," said Mindor.

Explosions happened at the first entrance as the first team made their way inside. The emblem of _Blazing Fenrir_ appear directly over the entrance as _Blazing Puppy_ made their appearance. All the members were there, apart from Warcry, who had been replaced with Bacchus.

"In sixth place and hoping for an upset of a hunting dog turned tail chasers, _Blazing Puppy_!" Agnar announced.

The entire crowd cheered upon seeing them.

"It's true that the _Drunken Hawk_ Bacchus has been on the losing side this year, but he's still a force to be reckoned with," said Johann.

"Next up the Guild radiates with class and an intoxicating parfum," said Agnar as the spotlight shone on one of the entrances as a pink mist erupted and the crest of Blue Pegasus appeared. "With Olatrand Hedash at the helm in Blue Pegasus!"

Olatrand was indeed with _Blue Pegasus_ along with the _Tirmens_ and Ase posing for all the guys and girls out there.

"They currently gather in fifth place," said Mindor. "But today is their chance to breathe in the sweet smell of victory."

Suddenly shining out another one of the entrances was the emblem for _Thor's Hammer_ and the team started to make their way into the arena.

"Here comes our third place team, _Thor's Hammer_!" Agnar announced. "Can Lyon Barson, the Ice Viking who rivals Dragon tales Ragnar Keatson, bring the heat to today's battle? Or will his team get _frozen_ in their tracks?"

"He doesn't have to do it alone, don't forget about young Shanyla Oceanstar and the Viking Lord Jura Rockfist our extremely powerful as well," Mindor reminded.

Johann nodded in agreement. "I agree that team could claim the title today," said Johann.

" _Thor's Hammer_ is in the only team in third place they are in very good company…" said Agnar. Suddenly a bright light erupted in the stadium into the form of the _Valkyrie's Sword's_ emblem. "With _Valkyrie's Sword_!"

Suddenly emerging from the entrance way was _Team_ _Valkyrie's Sword_.

"They may be beautiful ladies, but don't be fool by their sweet looks," Johann warned. "They are definitely not delicate little flowers."

"Beneath the calm exterior of their leader, Camicazi Berthadotter there is a fire of intensity!" Mindor added.

"Let's hear it for our second place team," said Agnar is appearing on the lacrima screens was the _Sabretooth_ emblem.

Immediately the crowd cheered loudly that it was difficult to hear Agnar talking.

"What a shocker to see this Guild, who is usually at the top spot, playing catch up," said Agnar. "Is this end of an era? Their _Twin Dragon's,_ Sting and Rogue, have a major bone to pick on Hiccup and Eret of _Dragon Tail_ during that utter defeat on Day Four. Can they settle the score? Let's give it up for returning Grand Magic Game champion the mighty _Sabretooth_!"

The crowd began to cheer as _Sabretooth_ made their way into the arena. Surprisingly Sting and Rogue were still with them for some reason and Sting for ones wasn't absorbing the cheers of the crowd and was looking very solemn.

"Those are some serious looks they've got today," Agnar noted.

"Surely they realise that there's a lot on the line," said Johann.

"They have to be cool under pressure," said Mindor.

The crowd around as they look towards the stand with _Sabretooth_ was cheering noticing that only Skull was there with them.

"Whoa, that weird?"

"They usually have two cats rooting for them?"

"Yeah, but one of them is gone."

"I wonder why?"

Sting knew the reason why. ' _Hookfang_.'

"Hey, Sting!" Hookfang's voice cried. "You've totally got this thing in the bag old buddy! The only one point ahead that's nothing guy like you!"

Sting immediately turned towards the stand and for brief moment he saw Hookfang there, but it was only his imagination.

"You're right about that, pal," said Sting quietly. "And I won't let you down, because I'm not losing."

"And now introducing the Guild in first place!" Agnar announced. "The Guild that is making a historic comeback after literally falling off the map seven years ago! Let's welcome _Dragon Tail!_ "

Flames erupted from the entrance way forming the emblem of _Dragon Tail_ and Hiccup and the others soon made their way into the arena as the crowd cheered like never before.

"Well, this is it," said Rouge looking at Sting. "You ready?"

"Yeah," Sting nodded.

"They're definitely getting a different welcome from all that booing in the Game's opening ceremony," Lyon smiled.

"Leading the pack is Hiccup Haddock, who when you the heart of _Dragon Tail_ during the Chariot race on Day Two and single-handedly took down the _Twin Dragon_ for _Sabretooth_ ," said Agnar and the crowd went mad. "With him is his partner Eret Eretson, whose skin is as hard as iron and capable of eating it."

"Accompanying them is the beautiful Astrid Hofferson, who cause a bit of a war on _Day Three_ in Pandemonium winning the game by storm and Heather Valha, who literally washed away the opposition during the Naval Battle on Day Four," Johann added.

"And finally there is Ragnar Keatson, he didn't think much of oppression on Day One, but you can bet that he is looking to redeem himself today," said Mindor.

* * *

From the stands Hiccup the First was looking at Stoick.

"Very clever, Third Master," said Hiccup the First.

"To be perfectly honest with you it was the only real choice that I had," said Stoick honestly. "There is a chance that winning the games we will be able to get up or poor Ruby back through more official channels.

"However, in a situation like this I must explore every option, we can put all our eggs in one basket. Everybody is focused on the games and we will cheer our fighters on with gusto, that is what the public will be seeing. But some of our more capable Vikings will set out on a secret rescue mission."

"A two-pronged strategy, nicely done," Hiccup the First nodded.

* * *

Heading towards the Palace as quickly as they could what Valka, the Exceeds, Merrill and Adelaide. They were going to rescue Ruby no matter who got in their way.


	53. Dragon Tactician

Valka and her team were making their way towards the Palace as quickly as they could they could hear the fireworks from the Coliseum from where they were.

"That's a lot of fireworks, I think the final wound is starting," said Adelaide.

"Good, then this is our chance to breach the Palace," said Valka.

"Rushing in while everyone is distracted by the Games is smart, but the Master strategy hardly covers all the bases," said Skullcrusher.

"It may not be ironclad but it's the best he can do on short notice," Stormfly reminded.

"We only have a short window and we have to take it," Toothless agreed.

"Still, we need to be careful for one wrong move and the mission is a failure," said Cloudjumper.

"So then what's the plan for speaking into the castle without being seen?" Merrill asked.

"I have an idea about that," said Toothless.

"Good," Valka nodded. "Remember Hiccup and the others will do whatever they can to win the games. So we have to do whatever we can to get Ruby back."

* * *

In the Coliseum, Hiccup was looking at his team with his arms folded.

"We can win this assure, _Dragon Tail_ will be back to normal in no time," he said.

"All right Guild mates, show us your skill, your magic and the bonds that tie you together," said Agnar.

Hiccup's team looked at one another and nodded.

"This is it, the last round of the Grand Magic Games will feature a full team survival game!" Agnar cried and the crowd cheered loudly as more fireworks erupted into the sky.

* * *

From the Palace, a woman in her 20s with short blond hair was looking out of the window at the Coliseum.

"Here we go," said one of the guards with her.

"We finally get to see which Guild comes out on top," said the other.

The woman in front of the nearly smiled.

* * *

"You best strap in ladies and gentlemen, because there is a special arena for our final fight!" Mindor announced. "The entire city of Crocus itself!"

"The teams have already spread throughout the battlefield and are waiting on standby," said Johann.

"The combatants will rush through the city battling any opposing Guild members they encounter. Knocking out or incapacitating and opposing Viking will net the victorious Viking's Guild one point on the board," Agnar explained.

"First each Guild must select one member as its leader, but there's a catch to this rule," said Johann.

"None of the other guilds will know who the opposing team leaders are," said Mindor.

"Defeating a leader is worth five points, this means it's theoretically possible for each team to score 45 points meaning that every Guild has a shot winning the title," said Agnar explained.

"The teams could either together or should they split up to take the gold," said Johann.

"Strategy will be a key point in this round," said Mindor.

Hiccup have been selected for their team as leader by a unanimous vote. He then looked at his teammates and gave them a stern look.

"Listen, we have to win this just in case the rescue plan fails," he said. "Ruby is counting on all of us."

"Let's hope that Valka and the others can get her out of there," said Heather.

"She's not the only reason were fighting," Eret reminded.

"Eret is right, we're winning this for all of our friends in _Dragon Tail_ ," said Ragnar strongly.

"They managed to hold our Guild together for seven years and of seven years of heartache, it is the least we can do," Astrid nodded.

"Will gloriously stand in the pinnacle of the magic world!" Agnar cried as players shot out from the Coliseum. "We're about to find out! Let's rumble!"

Immediately the flares exploded signalling the start of the match and a horn could be heard across the city.

"Ready?" Hiccup yelled.

"Yeah!" they others cried.

The crowd was ecstatic and will be free at the edge of their seats.

"The intensification is killing me!"

Darton was watching from the Royal box with the King and Skull were with the rest of _Sabretooth_ with a grim look on his face.

"It's a beautiful day for battle, don't you think?" said Agnar looking at the other announcers.

"Quite, and most of our teams have decided to split up which should make things interesting," said Johann.

"We wish you the best of luck competitors," said Mindor.

"Uh-oh, it looks like even the individually powerful _Sabretooth_ have decided to split up," Agnar noted looking at the screens above them. "Some of the other teams have up into groups of two or three, whose strategy will carry them to the gold?"

Ilos could sense something quite unusual and Orga landed on the building behind him.

"What is it, you said something?" Orga asked.

"They're not moving," said Ilos.

Orga looked at him in confusion.

Agnar too was quite confused upon looking at the monitors. "Huh, what's going on?"

Everyone looked at the monitors and saw that _Dragon Tail_ hadn't moved an inch. Instead they were just standing there, not moving at all which was not pleasing the crowd for _Dragon Tail_.

"I have no idea why, but the members of _Dragon Tail_ are just standing there as if they're in a trance?" Agnar said shaking his head in confusion.

"What are you doing out there, son!" Stoick roared.

"What in the name of Thor are they doing?" Ruffnut stared.

"No clue," said Agatha. She then turned to the monitor place a hand over her mouth. "They're not coming to you you know! Get the lead out people!"

"Well, while _Dragon Tail_ is sticking to their bizarre strategy," said Agnar turning the crowd's attention to another monitor.

Novail turned around and saw both Veger and Torn directly in front of him.

"Crap, two of you? Just my luck," he stared.

"The other combatants have already found some targets," Agnar continued.

"You attack and I will keep his magic a bay, deal?" said Veger to Torn.

Torn's fingernails then grew into they were talons. "You're leaving him to me?"

"Stop whining," said Veger as he extended his hand which then began to glow. " _Wave Boost!_ "

Immediately Novail a powerful force around him and found he was unable to uses magic.

"Oh, he's blocked his magic," said Johann.

Novail was indeed confused. "What happened? My spells!"

He looked at just in time to see Torn dealing him a powerful swipe with his nails.

" _Mega Mega Jellyfish!_ " Torn yelled as with every swipe he sent a powerful lighting sold through Novail.

Novail then collapsed to the ground a little scorched from the electrical attack.

"The pain just keeps on coming for the _Blazing Puppy_ Guild," said Agnar. " _Thor's Hammer_ scored one point and takes full control of third place!"

1st Dragon Tail: 45P

2nd Sabretooth: 44P

3rd Thor's Hammer: 41P

4nd Valkyrie's Sword: 40P

5th Blue Pegasus: 30P

6th Blazing Puppy: 15p

Somewhere else in the city, the _Tirmens_ had run into both Athessa and Babs.

"Ah, just our luck running into some ladies," said Arvin.

"That mean you will be chivalrous and lay down to us?" Athessa asked.

"As gentlemen we will kindly give you are all," said Feralan.

"No hard feelings okay," said Cavin.

"Don't be so cocky," said Athessa.

" _Aerial Phose_!" Feralan yelled unleashing a powerful gust of wind.

" _White Fang!_ " Cavin yelled unleashing a powerful storm of snow.

Everyone cheered as the two attacks slammed right into Athessa and Babs knocking the two girls out.

"That hurt," said Agnar. "Athessa and Babs of _Valkyrie's Sword_ were no match from the boys are Blue Pegasus. That little battle gave them two points making their total a whopping 32."

Humungously smiled from the stands with the rest of his Guild.

1st Dragon Tail: 45P

2nd Sabretooth: 44P

3rd Thor's Hammer: 41P

4nd Valkyrie's Sword: 40P

5th Blue Pegasus: 32P

6th Blazing Puppy: 15p

"The scores are dancing up and down the board, but the team from _Dragon Tail_ has yet to budge an inch," said Agnar noting that _Dragon Tail_ had yet to make a move.

"Are they taking a nap?" Spitelout yelled in frustration.

"Stop playing statues and throw a spell!" Gobber roared.

"This is just getting stupid, move!" Agatha yelled.

"Meanwhile the carnage continues as the _Thor_ take down the _Puppies_ one by one," said Agnar.

Lyon had just frozen Magnus in place with his ice and Jura had completely crushed Asger.

"What's the matter?" Jura asked looking down at Asger. "Done already?"

Asger merely groaned.

1st Dragon Tail: 45P

2nd Sabretooth: 44P

3rd Thor's Hammer: 43P

4nd Valkyrie's Sword: 40P

5th Blue Pegasus: 32P

6th Blazing Puppy: 15p

Mogadon and the rest of his Guild were completely horrified by this turn of events, because now they had no way of winning and what was worse the one from the team have scored a single point as more than half of them have been annihilated in the first ten minutes of the game.

"If _Thor's Hammer_ keep this up they'll be in first place in no time," Johann concluded.

"They are up to 43 points!" Mindor cried.

"They've got a Viking Lord on their side, how is anybody supposed to compete with that?" said Spitelout crossly.

"Yeah, the odds are stacked against us," Gobber nodded.

Veger and Torn were running through the street as quickly as they could.

"Jura and Lyon are making this a breeze us," said Veger. "They should just give us the win at this rate."

"Shannyla is strong as well!" Torn pointed out.

"You mad?" Veger blinked.

"You sure sound sure of yourselves," said a drunken voice.

The two of them immediately came to a stop when they saw a drunken Bacchus right in front of them.

"Uh-oh, Torn and Veger have just run into a wall of drunken fury," said Agnar.

"Bacchus," Veger gasped.

"We can beat them!" Torn yelled confidently.

"Two on one, huh?" said Bacchus drunkenly. "Hardly seems fair, but that sort of thing really gets my soul sterling!"

"Guess what have to fight," said Veger.

Torn growled at Bacchus as his nails extended.

"It's time for you to go bedey bye," said Bacchus taking up a fighting stance.

However, before any of them made a move, Bacchus sensed something behind him. He turned around just in time to see Sting heading towards him a powerful punch and slammed him into the ground.

Mogadon looked as if he was on the verge of tears upon seeing one of his most powerful Viking knocked out with a single attack.

"It's Sting!" Agnar cried. " _Sabretooth,_ Sting appeared out of the blue and crushes _Blazing Puppy's_ leader with overwhelming force. That's another five points for our reigning champions."

Minerva smiled. "This means we're in the again just as it should be.

1st Sabretooth: 49P

2nd Dragon Tail: 45P

3rd Thor's Hammer: 43P

4nd Valkyrie's Sword: 40P

5th Blue Pegasus: 32P

"What a come back," Agnar cried as everyone in the audience cheered. "With one below _Sabretooth_ jumps to 1st place with 49 points."

Stoick was completely distraught by this.

Sting got to his feet and turned to face Veger and Torn.

"You beef, he was ours!" Veger yelled angrily.

"Let's take them out, take a point, steal his socks while we're at it!" Torn yelled. "I need a new chew toy!"

However before either of them could do anything Camicazi appeared out of nowhere and struck the two of them with her sheathed blade knocking them out cold instantly.

"And the lovely Camicazi strikes like a viper," Agnar cried. "With Veger and Torn out of the way what kind of effect one-on-one battle we have in store for…" Agnar. When they saw that Sting had vanished.

"He vanished," said Mindor.

"A wise choice," said Minerva to herself. "Fighting her would be pointless, it would only waste his magic power."

"Valkyrie's Sword scores two points for a new total of 42!" Mindor cried.

1st Sabretooth: 49P

2nd Dragon Tail: 45P

3rd Thor's Hammer: 43P

4nd Valkyrie's Sword: 42P

6th Blue Pegasus: 32P

7th Blazing Puppy: 15p

However just as he said this, the screen turned to Neria, who had Thuggory wrapped up in her tube preventing him from moving.

" _Blazing Puppy's_ Thuggory is in quite a bind," said Johann. "Like a true cat, Neria grappled her foe into submission."

"That kitty is truly top dog, _Blazing Puppy_ is out" said Agnar. He then looked to his fellow commentators. "Wow, I didn't expect Thor and Valkyrie to catch up so quickly."

"Funny, it seems that Mogadon is thinking the same thing," said Johann noting that the Guild Master had fainted while the other members of his Guild tended to him.

"Must be quite a below," Mindor nodded.

1st Sabretooth: 49P

2nd Dragon Tail: 45P

3rd Thor's Hammer: 43P

3rd Valkyrie's Sword: 43P

5th Blue Pegasus: 32P

6th Blazing Puppy

"The scores keep changing with dizzying speed, yet _Dragon Tail_ still haven't moved in their starting point," Agnar noted. "I don't get it what kind of messed up strategy is this?"

"Are they mad? Or did they suddenly forget about Ruby's freedom is at stake?" said Stoick looking furious.

Hiccup the First smiled. "They didn't forget, in fact it's the very reason that we must remain calm and focused."

"What?" said Stoick looking at him.

"Over the course of the tournament I watched our opponents closely, I saw their strengths, spells and behavioural patterns and I committed them to memory. With these factors in mind, I ran through millions of calculations to find our strategy."

"How many?" Spitelout.

"Billions," Gobber answered rubbing the back of his bald head. "Crazy."

"And so far all my predictions concerning the strategies and casualties… laid out exactly how I felt," Hiccup the First continued.

Stoick's eyes widened.

"I then gave my battle plan to our team."

Then Hiccup and the others opened their eyes one by one.

"Leaving our comrades to guaranteed victory, that is how a tactician rages war."

"Rage war you say?" Stoick stared.

" _Operation Dragon Stars_ begin!" Hiccup the First commanded.

Then Hiccup and the others, as if following his orders, made their move.

"Roger," they said together.

"Finally, the team from _Dragon Tail_ has sprung into action!" Agnar cried which earned a few cheers from the crowd.

* * *

Meanwhile two guards were guarding the gate of the palace and were looking extremely bored. They could hear the cheers from the Coliseum which made the job even more depressing.

"Man, this is the pits," one of them grumbled to his buddy. "I wasn't even supposed to be here today."

They then heard footsteps and turned and found a guard holding both Valka and Merrill by the arms.

"Halt, what is your business here?" one of them asked. He then looked at Valka and Merrill. "And who are they?"

"Intruders, probably here to spring the _Dragon Tail_ girl from her cell," said the guard.

"An old woman and a kid?" said a guard sceptically.

"His Majesty and the Defence Minister are out on business," the other guard.

"Ah, just lock them up and we'll sort them out later, all right."

"Understood."

The guard then started to make his way to the door, but the other guard just stared at him.

"Hey, buddy, prison cells that way!" said a guard pointing.

"Huh, oh," the guard nodded looking slightly embarrassed. "Right, sorry. All these courtyards are starting to look the same."

They then started to make their way towards the cells.

"Great job, Adelaide," Merrill smiled.

"Indeed, you had me fooled," Valka nodded.

The guard's face then turned into Adelaide's and she smiled.

The front of her shirt and open to reveal the Exceeds stuffed inside.

"I told you my plan would work," said Toothless.

"Yeah, we didn't say how uncomfortable it would be," said Cloudjumper.

"It's so stuffy in here," Stormfly grumbled.

"Let us now before we die," Skullcrusher begged.

* * *

Meanwhile the woman from earlier was looking at the Coliseum with her two guards still with her.

"You won't find a better chance in than this, Princess," said one of the guards.

The woman who turned out to be the Princess turned to face them. "Yes, I agree. Make ready soldier and begin the _Eclipse Two Project_."

* * *

Meanwhile the final match was still going on now was only five teams remaining. Hiccup the First was looking at the monitor as if directing orders to the team, even though there was no way they could hear them.

"Everyone split up and proceed your designated coordinates," Hiccup the First ordered.

"Beg pardon," Stoick stared.

"I was hoping you could tell us that," said Helga dumbfounded.

"I'm lost," said Ingrid equally confused.

All the members of _Dragon Tail_ were now splitting up into five different directions and running as quickly as they could.

" _Dragon Tail_ , has hit the streets of Crocus," said Agnar.

"What are these crazy kids trying to pull?" Johann asked confused.

"I don't know, but it will be hard to rack up points this late in the game," Mindor frowned. "They'll have to step it up."

"Phase One: there is a 97% chance that Ilos will take action at this time," said Hiccup the First.

Then just as he predicted, Ilos had taking position on one of the tall buildings of the city that he had a good view of the _Dragon Tail_ team.

"I see you," he said chuckling to himself. "You are the first to underestimate my talent the detection and you won't be the last. I'll spare us a headache and take you all out now." He then started to glow with a yellow aura as he placed his two fingers on his temple. " _Memory-Make: Night Shooting Stars!_ "

Ilos then unleashed the same attack he had conjured up on Day One. Five lights that resembled stars that blew across the skies and headed straight towards their _Dragon Tail_ targets.

"I know that spell," said Agnar.

"Is the same one he used to decimate his opponents on the first day," said Johann.

"Which means in big trouble for _Dragon Tail_ ," said Mindor.

"You have a two second window of opportunity," said Hiccup the First calmly. "If they them the moment their light is overhead."

Then suddenly, completely out of nowhere, everyone apart from Hiccup, jumped and dodged the attack effortlessly.

"Like we would fall for the same trip twice," said Ragnar.

"Hiccup, on the other hand, can block them," said Hiccup the First. "He is now immune to lightening."

Hiccup just stood there and Ilos' attack struck him. However, due to the fact that Alvin had given him as lightning ever since then he had been immune to lightning attacks.

"You know that that he tickles," said Hiccup.

Ilos was completely perplexed upon seeing this. "No, he took it head-on!"

"He would then become agitated and unable to think straight," said Hiccup the First. Just as he predicted Ilos looked like he was in shock and unable to move. "In this state of confusion there is a 68% chance that he will close in and engage one of our team members and a 32% chance that he was standby at his current position. Obviously the latter outcome will pose little threat to our overall strategy."

"What's gotten into him, it's creepy," said Spitelout looking at Gobber.

"No idea," said Gobber honestly.

"Does anyone understand what he's talking about?" Ruffnut asked.

"Don't look at me," said Tuffnut.

"All I got out of it was that the First Master is a serious egghead," said Agatha.

"As she heads north-west, Astrid will encounter an opposing Viking when she turned round the corner," Hiccup the First continued.

Around the corner was Ase, who immediately sensed Astrid's presence and a panicked look appeared on her face. "No, not her," she cried.

Astrid immediately appeared round the corner and smiled upon seeing Ase. "It would seem as if the First Master was spot on," she smiled.

"Astrid!" Ase panicked and began running away.

"He's quite formidable," said Astrid calmly.

"Strategic withdraw," said Ase running as quickly as he could.

However, Astrid was just too fast and reappeared in front of her holding her battleaxe.

"She will eliminate her," said Hiccup the First.

Then within a blink of an eye, Astrid swung her battleaxe knocking Ase out of the running.

"Eret will take out an opponent to the south," Hiccup the First continued.

Then just as he predicted, in the southern area of the city, Eret had taken out Cavin with a single hit.

"No one said about an ambush," Cavin groaned.

"Them's the breaks, kid," said Eret he then turned and looked at Feralan and Arvin. "Now then, we are doing this solo or two on one? Either always suits me fine."

"Arvin, get out of here, I've got this," said Feralan.

Arvin looked a bit sceptical. "You sure?"

"I'm positive, just go," said Feralan.

However, before Feralan could make a move, Eret slammed him with his iron club smacking him against one of the houses.

"You were saying?" Eret smiled.

Arvin quickly made a run for it completely confused. "I don't understand it, the _Dragon Tail_ have a member that can out calculate my _Archive Magic_?"

He turned round the corner and saw Ragnar in front of him with a smile. "How did you guess?"

"No, not the face!" Arvin pleaded.

As requested, Ragnar didn't hit him in the face, but merely created an icy tundra trapping him inside the ice.

"Once Ragnar defeats the opponent, he retreats to the Fountain Square," said Hiccup the Frist as Ragnar made his way towards the Fountain Square. "His next destination will be point B4."

"Incredible!" Agnar cried. "Even though they lack behind _Dragon Tail_ is once again in the running for first place!"

"They're tearing up down there!" Mindor cried.

1st Dragon Tail: 49P

1st Sabretooth: 49P

3rd Thor's Hammer: 43P

3rd Valkyrie's Sword: 43P

Immediately the crowd began to cheer like mad.

"I did know how she did it, but his strategy is actually working," said Helga amazed.

"Never doubted him," said Ingrid.

Hiccup the First looked at the screen to directing the team.

"Heather will provide cover support from the rear," he said. "Hiccup should continue towards F8. Astrid will go to S5. There should be plenty of targets to choose from."

Stoick stared at him. "Wow, so the rumours are true, he's incredible. His deep understanding of psychology and strategy in battle earned him countless victories. That is why he was known as the _Dragon Tactician_!"

"We're saved," said Spitelout with relief.

"He's almost like Hiccup," said Gobber.

"Shouldn't be surprising, they use the same magic and virtually look the same," said Fishlegs. "Plus it's easy to forget that he's the founder of _Dragon Tail_."

"Let's not forget that he's been 6 feet under for a while," Agatha pointed out.

Olatrand was observing the frozen Arvin.

"We failed you, teacher," said Arvin through the frozen ice. "Please, forgive us."

"Man," Olatrand sighed. "Leave it to me with one stroke I shall…"

However, before he got his chance, Jura struck him from behind knocking him out cold.

"You were careless," said Jura.

"The Viking Lord strikes again!" Agnar cried. "He effortlessly defeated the _Pegasus_ leader and scores five points."

Ursula was with the rest of the Guild quite cheerful now that they never caught up to the leaders.

"Keep your eyes on Jura, he's easily the strongest fighter in the competition," said Mindor.

Then a split second later Shanyla dealt a devastating kick to Kelail knocking her out as well.

"Shanyla takes out Kelail from _Valkyrie's Sword_ with the greatest of ease!" Agnar cried. "This gives _Thor's Hammer_ a total of 49 points. It's a three-way tie for first place folks!"

1st Dragon Tail: 49P

1st Sabretooth: 49P

1st Thor's Hammer: 49P

4th Valkyrie's Sword: 43P

Darton was watching from the Royal box with his Majesty frowning slightly as if something was bothering him.

"Now we currently have three teams battling for the top spot, any thoughts on who is going to take the gold?" Agnar asked looking at his fellow announcers.

"Well, not _Blue Pegasus_ that the sure," said Johann.

"The numbers are getting smaller by the second," Mindor noted.

"By this point I expect the conflict to be even more intense," said Hiccup the First.

"I've got a question," said Agatha looking at him. "Jura, you have any plan on taking down a walking fort?"

"Honestly I was wondering the same thing," said Fishlegs.

Hiccup the First face went grimaced. "I've put much thought into it, but the solution still evades me. That is how powerful this Jura fellow is, he is quite extraordinary."

Jura was walking casually through the streets with a smile on his face. "I took part in this, because the Hag ordered me, but I didn't expect it to be so much fun."

* * *

Meanwhile in the prison cells, Valka and her team finally reached Ruby and Vala. The two girls were trying to get some sleep on the bed in their cells.

"Ruby," Valka whispered. Ruby opened her eyes briefly before falling back to sleep. "Wake up."

Ruby looked up and then saw Valka, Merrill and Adelaide smiling at her.

"You're here," she gasped rushing towards the cell door. "Boy am I glad to see you three here! Now let me out!"

Valka quickly put a hand over her mouth. "Shh!" she whispered.

"Oh, sorry," said Ruby through Valka's hand.

"You slept on this thing," said a voice behind her.

Ruby turned and saw Toothless and the others in the cell.

"Hey, guys," she smiled.

"I'm glad to say that you're in good spirits," said Stormfly.

Vala stared at them. "But how do you get past the guards?"

"With a little bit of slack in hand," said Valka as she summoned her staff. "Now stand back."

Ruby and Vala quickly backed away from the bars. Valka then began channelling winded her staff and with two good swipes she sliced through the iron bars of their cell.

"Awesome!" Toothless cheered.

"Nice," said Skullcrusher impressively.

"Good one," Stormfly nodded.

"It is nice to see that you have lost your touch," Cloudjumper smiled.

"Here, I bought a change of clothes for you," said Adelaide holding out a fresh pair of Ruby's clothes.

"Now all I need is about," said Ruby taking them.

"Yeah, you do," Toothless nodded.

Adelaide and Vala then grabbed the bed sheet and use it to give Ruby some privacy as he changed into her new clothes.

"We brought some extra food in case you are hungry," said Merrill holding out their rations.

"You want some, Vala?" Toothless asked.

"I'm fine thanks," said Vala still little perplexed that they managed to sneak their way into the prison.

"Now we just need to figure a way out of this hellhole," said Stormfly.

"If possible, we should try and find a route that will keep us hidden from the castle sentry," said Skullcrusher.

"Hold your horses, those Royal goons still have all my keys," Ruby reminded that she started to get her boots on. "It was that Minister, I swear as soon as I find him here get a grand tour of the Celestial…"

She then stopped when the entire room began shaking.

"What the?" Ruby stared.

Then suddenly the floor gave way and they started falling down into a deep dark tunnel.

"Not again!" Merrill cried.

"Can't a girl change in peace?" Ruby yelled frustratingly.

They eventually hit the bottom quite hard, but they were alive which was the important thing.

"That hurt," Ruby groaned rubbing her back.

"Well, this place is creepy," said Toothless as they all got to their feet.

They found themselves in some sort of cavern, but judging to the two statues that led to an entranceway it was man-made.

"Welcome to your holding cell," said a voice.

"Who's there?" Ruby demanded.

"I hope you enjoyed our special trap."

"Hardly," said Toothless.

"Who would enjoy that?" Stormfly snapped.

"Take a good look around, this is the Palace to Perdition, the City of Death" said the voice and they notice that the place was littered with skeletons that had been clearly been down here for quite some time. "It is last taste of freedom for criminals. To this day not a single inmate has escaped from it."

Suddenly a lacrima screen appeared in front of them which showed an image of the Princess and her guards.

"I seriously doubt you'll fare any better, you thieves," she said.

"And who would we be speaking to?" Valka asked looking at their captor.

"You are speaking to Princess Mala, Princess of the Septem Kingdom!" said the Princess.

"Then you're the one who trapped in here," Adelaide concluded.

"Why?" Ruby asked.

Mala then answered merely switch off the screen returned back to her mirror. Meanwhile the others looked around trying to find a way out.

"We need to find an exit," said Valka.

"Never mind the exit, I can't find the entrance," said Skullcrusher.

"So were stuck here?" Merrill panicked.

* * *

Meanwhile in her chambers Mala's guards were looking at her with admiration.

"You certainly showed those lowlife, Princess."

"Even with his Majesty's absence, you protected the castle with ease."

"Hoo-ha!" they yelled together. "Long live Princess Mala!"

However Mala had a sad look on her face as if she had regretted her decision.

* * *

Meanwhile the final match was still going before swing.

"It's been one breathtaking battle after another," said Agnar. "But I've got a feeling the best is yet to come."

Ragnar had just entered into a library where he found the opponent he was looking for. Sitting in front of him in the centre of the room reading a book was Ilos.

"The First Master told me you would be hiding out in here," said Ragnar calmly. "Seems he was right."

"How interesting," said Ilos looking away from his book. "You had practically vanished from my memory. Perhaps you care to remind me who you are?"

"You're going to have a hard time forgetting me after this, because I'm the guy that's going to knock you out," said Ragnar.


	54. Ragnar vs Ilos

In the Coliseum everyone was watching as Ragnar had just challenged Ilos.

"There we are, Ragnar and Ilos have met up in the library and I have a feeling they are not going to keep quiet!" Agnar cried.

"Two different types of _Maker Magic_ going against each other," said Fishlegs pondering.

"Ragnar had better watch out the guy knocked over the last time they fought, is tougher than he looks," said Snotlout.

Gustav looked at Hiccup the First. "You knew they were going to fight each other. Didn't you?"

"I did," Hiccup the First nodded.

"Then that means he is gonna pummel that cocky jerk," said Speedfist confidently.

"I suppose you gave him a foolproof strategy, right?" said Wartihog looking at Hiccup the First with a smile.

"No, not exactly," said Hiccup the First solemnly. "I'm not even sure he's going to win."

"You serious don't know?" Fishlegs stared.

"Do you even know what kind of odds he's got of winning?" Snotlout asked.

"I honestly have no clue," said Hiccup the First honestly. "But he must absolutely must win. Ilos is the key conquering _Sabretooth_ once and for all."

* * *

Later that night, Ragnar was with the other members of his team as they went over the battle plan tomorrow with the First Master.

"Hold on a minute, First Master," said Heather. "Are you saying that Ilos actually has the ability to know where we are at all times?"

"That's correct," Hiccup the First nodded. "So it stands to reason that he should be defeated first."

Ragnar then stood up. "I would love to take that guy down myself. We you please let me handle him?"

"I'm sorry, but according to my calculations you are at a significant disadvantage in a fight against him," said Hiccup the First apologetically. "It is unlikely that you'll win."

"I don't care about that!" Ragnar yelled and looked directly at the First Master. "I want to save Ruby and I owe him a good thrashing. You know that I'm a proud _Dragon Tail_ Viking so let me fight him."

Hiccup the First looked at him and closed his eyes.

* * *

In present time, Hiccup the First was witnessing as Ragnar was about to fight Ilos. Though reluctant, he allowed Ragnar to have a shot at him.

' _Emotions can set sometimes surpass what is calculated. Show us the power of what you feel,_ ' he said to himself.

Ilos smiled as he looked back down at his book.

"All right, you mask wearing freak! Let's rock!" Ragnar yelled as he put his hands together.

Ilos then closed his book.

" _Ice-Make: Freeze Lancer!_ " Ragnar yelled extending his hand forward and unleashing a wave of ice spikes at Ilos.

However, Ilos merely jumped out of the way before they hit destroying the chair he was sitting in a few moments ago.

"Memorised," he said as he landed onto the ground.

"You're not getting away from this one!" Ragnar yelled slamming his fist into his palm. " _Ice Impact!_ "

Then a giant hammer appeared directly behind him and slammed down onto Ilos. Unfortunately, he managed to dodge yet again and somersaulted into the air.

"Memorised," he said once again as he landed on the ground.

"Mind telling me what you're mumbling about?" Ragnar asked.

"Memory is a powerful weapon," said Ilos simply.

Ragnar just looked at him in confusion.

"I can commit any spell I say to memory and then make entirely new spells that are based upon those techniques," Ilos explained into great detail.

"Is that so?"

"For example I have memories of your ice along with several memories of Orga's lightning."

"Oh yeah?"

"I can combine them," said Ilos as he extended his right hand above his head. " _Memory-Make: Sword of Frozen Black Lightning!_ "

Suddenly a bright light emanated from the palm of his hand and black lightning shot out in all directions. As the lightning struck the floor spiky formations of ice began to form and headed straight towards Ragnar. Fortunately, he was able to jump out of the way and it was a good thing he did, because the ground beneath the ice shattered.

"Oh crap," Ragnar stared as he landed on the ground.

"His power is crazy!" Speedfist stared.

"He can before any spells that he comes up with just on-the-fly!" Wartihog stared.

"It's hard to believe, but it seems like it's true," said Fishlegs completely bewildered.

"Now that's impressive," said Snotlout.

Ilos then placed his fingers on his temple. " _Shrine of the Stormy Wind Fang!_ "

He then moved his left arm in a sweeping formation and suddenly great tornadoes of wind appeared in all directions of the library.

Ragnar quickly put his hands together. "Is that all you got? _Ice-Make: Shield!_ "

Extended his hand forward and created a shield made of ice that completely covered him.

"I see," said Ilos not looking impressed. "Memorised, but soon… forgotten!"

Ragnar just stared open eyed as his shield disappeared right in front of him. With nothing no longer protecting him the tornado struck him and he was sent flying across the library.

"It just disappeared," Gustav gasped.

Ragnar then landed on the floor the library.

Heather came to a stop and looked at the monitor which showed Ragnar struggling to get up.

"Oh, no," she gasped worriedly.

"What a move!" Agnar yelled in astonishment. "Ilos unleashed an intense assault that put's Ragnar on the floor."

"I get it," said Fishlegs figuring out what just happened. "He can make people forget what they know as well."

"And combining that kind of power with his endless _Spell Creation Magic_ makes way more dangerous," said Snotlout.

"So that means Ragnar can only use an attack one time before the guy takes it away," Speedfist concluded.

"We're in trouble you guys," said Wartihog. "Ragnar is in a major disadvantage."

Ragnar was struggling to get back onto his feet.

Ilos chuckled. "What's the matter? As I recall you were planning on knocking me out, weren't you?" He then stopped and saw a book on the floor. "What's this?" He then uses magic to levitate the book towards him. "Oh, this is the book of _Heavens Magical Compendium_." He then levitated the other books on the floor. "And these look to be the _Tome of the Abyss and Advanced Dark Sorcery_ , yes. This secrets of _Subliminal Percipients_ , _Ancient Witchcraft_. These are most excellent discoveries."

"We're not here to catch up on reading," said Ragnar. "We're here to fight."

Ilos then load the books back onto the floor and placed his fingers on his temple. "All memorised."

"He really just memorised all of those books," Wartihog stared.

"I can't even imagine how many spells that must be," Speedfist stared.

Ragnar slowly got onto his feet.

"He's unsteady, but Ragnar is back on his feet," said Agnar.

"What a wonderful turn of events," said Ilos smiling. "I'm glad you haven't wilted like a flower in the cold. It's thrilling, all the songs of magic passed down from eons forming a sympathy inside my mind."

Then suddenly Ragnar saw that he was creating something else and could feel cold air rising. Clearly he was going to use his eyes to create something new again.

"But it's melody will be my own composing, disparate memories composed in ways never before drained of. Taking fragments from here and there to create something new, the spells I can now create a new versions of ancient magic."

Stoick's eyes widened. "That cannot be."

"His magic seems to be limitless," Hiccup the First noted. "But still…"

"I can create a column of ancient ice warriors," said Ilos. Suddenly appearing around Ragnar with soldiers made of ice holding sword and shield in hand. "Ancient magic possesses such a unique splendour. With proper training one can form soulless soldiers born with nothing but the drifting elements. However, this is a new twist, you can cause collaborative work for it would not be possible without the memory of your _Ice Magic_."

"He's gonna take this guy down really quick," said Gustav.

"At least do something, Ragnar!" Snotlout yelled in frustration. "Come on and take him down!"

"Now dance to the rhythm of your destruction," said Ilos as he extended his hand forward.

Immediately the ice Warriors began to charge towards Ragnar.

"You may be able to rewrite everything you can, but this is all me!" Ragnar yelled placing his hands together.

He then at least a wave of ice directly at the Warriors smashing a few of them to pieces, but there was just too many of them and they struck him with their ice swords again and again.

"That's brutal," said Speedfist.

"Man, this guy's power is totally ridiculous. He's just making everything up as he goes along," said Wartihog.

Ragnar was exhausted and on his knees, but he wasn't giving up. "Is this the best you can do? You're pathetic."

The ice warriors then vanished from the field.

"Duly noted," said Ilos. "It would seem I can utilise far more aggressive elements in my creations." He then extended his two fingers forward. "Memorised. _Shining Lightening Blade!_ "

Suddenly appearing out of thin air was a giant trapped in ice, carrying a weapon enhanced with lightning. The giant then swung the massive blade right on top of Ragnar knocking him to the ground.

"Whoa, ma'am!" Agnar cried. "Ragnar has been with a wallop of magic power. Does this mean he's down for the count?"

Elsewhere in the city, Heather was watching the fight on the lacrima screens.

"Ragnar, no," she said fearfully. "I wish I could help you, but I can't. We have faith in you and in the wisdom of Master Hiccup's plan."

Ragnar was down but not out as he got back onto his feet. Ilos however was more focused on reading more books from the library.

"Hmm, quite fascinating interpretation," he said. "Memorised."

"Did anyone ever tell you how you're supposed to behave in a library?" Ragnar asked as he placed his hands on the floor. "You need to put those books back where you found them!"

Immediately ice started to cover the bookshelves preventing Ilos from retrieving any more the books.

"So quit looking at them and let's do this!" Ragnar yelled defiantly.

"No matter, if that is your wish then so be it," said Ilos calmly. "I have already memorised their contents." Suddenly flames and lightning began to form around him. " _Vibrant Flashing Blaze!_ "

Ilos then unleashed a red wave, further enhanced with lightning which struck Ragnar with immense force. It was so powerful that it sent Ragnar flying and cause a small explosion that Heather could see as he ran across the city.

"If only there was something I could do help," she said sadly.

Ragnar had collided into a bookshelf and looked as if he was down for the count.

"Your song in this battle is a haunting requiem," Ilos noted as he looked down at him. He then placed his finger on his temple. "For it seems you have forgotten that you will never be able to defeat me."

"This is turning out to be a completely one-sided battle," said Agnar. "If Ragnar has a strategy I have not seen it."

"He has infinite combinations, plus he can memorise and erase an attack after just seeing at one time," said Fishlegs rubbing his chin.

"I hate to say it, but I don't think we're going to be winning this round," said Snotlout.

"It's not looking so good," Gustav agreed.

"I made certain to warn him about this," said Hiccup the First. " _Maker-Magic_ is very powerful indeed, but it is also very easy to memorise. So he knows what he's up against."

Stoick looked at him. "If that's the case what kind of strategy did you suggest he follow?"

"He's not following any strategy." Stoick stared at him. "He's letting his emotions be his sole guide, his strength rose from the intensity of his feelings, Stoick."

Gustav looked slightly concerned. "What about Valka, I hope she and the others are doing okay?"

* * *

Valka and the others could have been better as they were wandering through the cavern and so far unable to find a way out.

"It feels as if we've been walking this way forever," Ruby groaned.

"Then we passed this spot earlier?" Skullcrusher asked.

Valka sniffed the air.

"Can you smell anything?" Adelaide asked.

"No, but that's because no one's has been down here for a long time," said Valka gravely.

"It doesn't seem like it," Adelaide nodded.

"That's right, _Dragon Slayers_ have a strong sense of smell, don't they?" Vala remembered.

"Yeah, but people smells don't actually last very long," Merrill explained.

"Well, it looks like were not the only ones down here," said Toothless looking at some skeletons.

"Well I suppose there's a good reason why it's called the _City of Death_ ," said Skullcrusher.

"Princess Mala did mention that this is the final taste of freedom that criminals get," Stormfly sighed.

"It doesn't look like freedom to me more like despair," Skullcrusher grumbled.

"It's just a way that they lower morale of the condemned," said Cloudjumper.

"She mentioned that there was no way out, but I sincerely doubt that," said Valka looking at the others. "I am positive that there must be some sort of exit, we just need to find it."

"Yeah," Ruby nodded. "And if she thinks we're just going to give up and die she's got another thing coming."

"All we have to do is keep on looking were bound to find a way out of this place eventually," said Merrill.

Vala looked at them in astonishment. "All of you are so incredibly strong and optimistic."

"Yeah, we've been able to survive worse things than this," Adelaide admitted.

"Especially Valka," said Ruby looking at her. "Those same cultists you mentioned to me, snagged her as well."

Vala then immediately turned to Valka. "Those cultists took you just like they took my sister."

Valka nodded. "I was there for eight years, forced to do slave labour for the cultists. There were many other children there as well, but I never gave up hope and gave it to them. However, it was Astrid that defeated the cultists."

"Yeah, but you were the one who taught at the basics of magic," Cloudjumper reminded. "You also protected her, putting your own life in danger. If it weren't for you Astrid would never have found the strength to overcome the cultists."

"If we work together as a team there's nothing we can't do," said Ruby.

"What really bugs me is that princesses probably watching from her chambers right now own twisted sense of amusement," Stormfly grumbled.

"It's possible," said Toothless. "And if that is possible then it's probably equally possible that there are guards watching as well."

"That is way too creepy," said Ruby looking around in case of former security sensors.

"Yeah, but it does seem pretty likely," Adelaide admitted.

"All which doesn't actually help us," Skullcrusher pointed out. "The only thing we can do is keep on moving and hope we can find an exit."

"Though it seemed as if these poor souls were given some reading material," said Valka examining the skeletons more closely.

"What kind of books will be reading?" Vala asked curiously.

"Not books," said Valka and held out a magazine of _Sorcerer's Weekly_ which had images of Ruby Adelaide in bikinis posing in a sexy fashion.

Vala face immediately turned pink. "Oh my," she gasped as he backed away from Ruby.

Ruby's face turned pink as well. "That was totally work-related…" she said quickly looking completely embarrassed.

"These magazines must be old," said Valka looking at them.

"Yeah, it is _Sorcerer's Weekly_ from seven years ago," said Toothless looking at the date.

"Seven years?" Vala stared.

"It makes more sense than you think it would," said Merrill.

"Wow, this really takes me back," said Adelaide looking at the magazines.

"I found a note," said Skullcrusher picking up a notebook from a skeleton and began to read it out loud. "'I've been trapped down here for years and my only joy in this dark and lonely dismal places the gorgeous pictures in these magazines. Ruby and Adelaide are so fricking pretty and when they look back at me with a big beautiful eyes I can feel it… the special bond between us.'"

Everyone was pretty creeped out by that note.

"That literally makes my skin crawl," said Stormfly finally.

"Sounds as if you girls had a fan club," said Valka with a smile.

"How come I've never seen you in any _Sorcerer Weekly_ issues?" Ruby frowned at her.

"Two reasons," she said holding out a fingers. "One I'm fifty years old and second I'm married."

"She's got a point," said Toothless.

"How about we focus on getting out of here," Skullcrusher advised feeling slightly awkward.

"I agree, that is the most important issue here," Stormfly nodded.

* * *

Meanwhile there was another explosion at the library. Ilos had unleashed another spell upon Ragnar and he was now skidding across the floor.

"Odin's beard! And the hits just keep on coming," said Agnar. "Ragnar is seemingly unable to anything except be Ilos' personal punching bag."

The people supporting _Sabretooth_ in cheered loudly.

Ilos was now sitting on a banister on the next floor looking down at Ragnar, who was still sprawling across the floor.

He then laughed. "You have to forgive me of somewhat misreading you earlier," he said. "I never imagined that he would be this stubborn. I do appreciate what you've done, you've been an excellent test subject without you I may not have had the opportunity to learn so many spells." He then extended his hand forward. " _Downpour of Ancient Wisdom!_ "

Immediately a large Magic Circle appeared over Ragnar and a massive force of gravity will then pushed him down into the floor. The forest was so great that the more practically collapsed under his weight.

"The ancients possessed such beautiful and frightening form of expression," said Ilos. "There's nothing in the world that magic can't do. It can control the elements, one can even harness the force of gravity and I will use that force to crush you beneath my light, I hope you made your peace."

"That's got to hurt," said Agnar. "Ragnar has literally got the weight of the world on his shoulders, it seems as if the power of memory trumps eyes in this _Maker Magic_ battle."

Heather was still running through the city unable to look at the monitors she had a concentrate with the orders that Hiccup the First gave to her.

' _Ragnar, I believe in you. You're so passionate that surely the force of your emotions can conquer anything so I won't worry and I won't look back_ ,' said Heather to herself.

Heather was right, because a few seconds later, despite the weight being pressed down upon him, Ragnar started to get up.

"All right, I'm through playing around," he said.

Ilos stared at him dumbfounded. "You shouldn't be able to move right now!"

"Don't tell me what to do," said Ragnar started to have memories of his former master. " _Maker Magic_ is about freedom, Master Ur taught me that a long time ago." He was now standing straight and it looked as if the gravity was not having any effect on him and then he started to remember every single battle he had. "What's more I have my own memory, I remember all the battles I won using what I learned from her. Everything I gained from them and everything I felt from them."

"You know what to do," said Hiccup's voice. "Remember your power comes from your emotions and no one can take that away from you."

Ragnar opened his eyes and places hands together. "Let's end this!"

He then slammed his hands into the ground and unleashed ice spikes from the ground in front of him and on the balcony Ilos was standing on. Ilos quickly jumped out of the way just in time.

"Finally!" Agnar cried. "Ragnar Keatson springs into action with a long awaited counter-attack."

Heather smiled as he ran through the streets as he heard the good news.

Ilos soon landed on the floor. "You're quite the glutton for pain aren't you?"

"Nope, I definitely had my fill of the," said Ragnar as his eyes began to fade away. "I have to admit that _Memory Magic_ is quite amazing stuff, but it turns out my memory has a huge amount of power all on its own."

"That's an amusing thought," said Ilos. "So, tell me. What is it exactly that you memorised?"

"Things that someone like you can never understand," said Ragnar bluntly. "All the pain I ever felt, the frustration of defeat, the pure joy of winning, everything. Trust me all that stuff has been beaten into my head my entire life, it's a feeling that I share with my friends. I remember every single battle that I had to fight and that's what gives me my power! I'm going to wipe that smirk off your face for good with the power of my memory!"

Ragnar then removed his shirt and tossed into the ground.

"And the shirt is off!" Agnar cried.

Many girls in the crowd went googly eyed upon seeing his bare chest and Heather was no exception.

"Got a focus, got a focus," she said with a cheats pink.

"He's taken of his shirt?" said Hiccup the First.

"That means he's getting serious," said Stoick.

"Atta boy, show everybody that you mean business!" Speedfist yelled.

"Now it's time to cash in on some supersweet payback! You've got this!" Wartihog yelled.

"I should have guessed that you would say that," said Ilos not looking entirely surprised. "So painfully predictable and pedestrian. We all know that the weakest dog barks the most and you are no exception."

"While not a dog, I'm a dragon remember and there roar can be quite powerful as you have seen with Hiccup," Ragnar pointed out. "Besides, I do not need your approval, because I don't care what you think."

"To memorise is to remember every detail, emotions only extort an obscure true knowledge," said Ilos plainly. "Since your memory consists of only feelings, I bet you haven't learned a thing."

"The flaws in your memory are going to be what brings you down in the end," said Ragnar simply.

Ilos narrowed his eyes. "What?"

Ragnar then gestured to his emblem as a cold aura covered his body. "You already forgotten what this emblem on my chest means. That I will not lose the same guy more than once."

"Oh, do you have some feebleminded strategy after all?" Ilos asked.

Ragnar placed his hands together. " _Ice-Make!_ "

Ilos merely placed his fingers on his temple. "I've memorised it."

" _Unlimited Magic!_ " Ragnar roared.

Then to Ilos horror, Ragnar began to unleash a massive amount of magic and it has a moving so fast that he couldn't trace them all. Ragnar was quickly forming ice blades faster than he had ever done before.

"But that's impossible!" Ilos cried. The swords then surrounded Ragnar and pointed towards Ilos. "How can you create so much at once?"

Ragnar then places hands together. "Did you get all that?" he yelled.

"That was awesome," said Gustav.

"He's throwing everything he's got atom all at the same time!" Snotlout yelled.

"My memory," Ilos stared in horror. "It can't keep up with him!"

" _One Sided Chaotic Dance!_ " Ragnar yelled and fired all the swords directly at Ilos.

Ilos had no time to block it and was soon trapped inside a massive block of ice. The crowd cheered upon seeing this massive turnaround.

"How tragic," said Ilos from inside the ice. "It's a shame you can only cast spells using ice for I have memorised powerful flaming spells that will destroy all."

He then placed fingers on his temple. " _Memory-Make:_ _Karma of the Burning Land!_ "

He then unleashed a powerful burst of fire which melted the ice around him and blasted Ragnar with immense force. Ilos land on the ground and smirk thinking that his victory was assured, but that smirk quickly vanished as Ragnar came charging at the flames not looking at all phased.

"Your flames are nothing compared to Hiccup's," said Ragnar as he crossed his arms when he was directly in front of Ilos. He then formed a pair of ice swords in his hands. "Now feel my _Ice Bringer!_ "

He then struck Ilos with his blade and then X formation creating eyes all over his body. Ilos then toppled to the ground and his hat blew off his head.

All of _Dragon Tail_ cheered upon his victory.

"He actually did," Stoick smiled.

Hiccup the First sighed with relief. "There's no denying it, today you have shown us just how powerful emotions can be."

Ragnar then caught Ilos' hat and placed it on his head.

"And Ragnar takes a trophy from Ilos," Agnar cried. "With an unbelievable come from behind victory _Dragon Tail_ wins the match!"

The crowd cheered for _Dragon Tail_ as Ragnar smiled on the screens.

* * *

Meanwhile, deep beneath the Palace, Valka and the others were still completely lost.

"Aww, we still haven't found a way out," Ruby moaned.

"We just have to keep on looking," said Valka.

"We don't even know they actually built in entrance into this place," said Stormfly.

"Not like we have much choice, but to search," said Toothless.

"He's right, we have to keep on searching," Vala agreed.

"I do not care how long it takes, but we will get out of here," said Valka strongly.

Unbeknownst to them someone was keeping an eye on them using a plan with an eyeball and began searching through the deep cavern.


	55. The Hungry Wolf Hunters

At the Coliseum people were cheering over Ragnar's victory over Ilos which was quite astonishing given the fact that he's been on the ropes for the majority of the match.

" _Dragon Tail's_ Ragnar Keatson has won the _Maker Magic_ showdown," said Agnar. "Ilos snatched the top spot from Ragnar during our first game. I guess revenge really is a dish best served cold."

"It all seem certainty that Ilos was about to win, but then Ragnar found his second wind and won the match," said Mindor astounded.

"Yeah, it was a real doozy of a battle," Agnar agreed.

"Ragnar toughed it out and came out on top," said Johann with a smile. "That is _Dragon Tail_."

"And as a result of _Dragon Tail_ gains another valuable point!" Agnar announced.

1st Dragon Tail: 50P

2nd Sabretooth: 49P

2nd Thor's Hammer: 49P

4th Valkyrie's Sword: 43P

"Beautiful way to go, lad!" Gobber cheered.

"It would have been quickest he had gone all out first," said Spitelout.

"That's showing him son," said Alvin proudly.

"He fought wonderfully," said Hiccup the First.

"Looks like you were right all along, First Master," said Stoick. "Sometimes emotions can supersede all calculation."

Hiccup the First nodded. "Firm belief in certain victory. Without that all the calculations in the world won't help you win. I simply bet everything upon his emotions, when push came to shove I think Ragnar is in the strength was far superior to Ilos'."

"All of their inner strength will have to be superior for Valka and the rest of his team as well," said Stoick. "This battle has only just begun, now let's show the world that _Dragon Tail_ is the most powerful Guild in all of Septem!"

"Now let's have a look at the current scoreboard," said Agnar. "In first place is the _Dragon Tail_ Guild with 50 points. Five members remain, one leader and four normal members."

" _Sabretooth_ is in second place with 49 points," said Mindor. " _Dragon Tail_ only got one point taking out Ilos which means the team's leader must be one of the three remaining members."

"Interestingly enough _Thor's Hammer_ is also in second place they have a leader and two regular members left on the field," said Johann.

"And in fourth place we have _Valkyrie's Sword_ with 43 points," said Agnar. "Only their leader and one normal member remain. It's a close game, but _Dragon Tail_ is really dominating out there."

"They are the only group that still has all of its members," said Johann.

"While it's true that _Dragon Tail_ has a serious advantage, but the question remains can they utilise it properly," said Mindor.

* * *

Orga had just watched the screens putting up the scores.

"So Ilos got himself beat," he said as black lightning shot out from his body. "That's fine by me. With him out of the way I'll get more pray all to myself."

Rogue was also looking at the screens. " _Dragon Tail_ is truly formidable, but I don't," she said and looked at one of the screens that showed Eret. "Eret, until I beat you on my own I refuse to be beaten by anyone else."

Skull was looking at the image of Ragnar overlooking the unconscious Ilos looked very grim.

"This doesn't bode well," he said.

Minerva merely smirked upon seeing this result. "So will _Sabretooth_ crumble consign the pages of history? Or will we survive? It's up to you Sting, only your strength can carry us through the day. Whatever you choose I'm sure it will be interesting."

Sting was in an alleyway sitting down thinking very hard. ' _Hookfang._ '

* * *

He then started to remember the events of last night after he took down Jiemma. Everyone in the Guild were completely mind blown and unsure on what to do next.

"No way."

"He took down Master Jiemma."

"What are we supposed to do?"

"Stay close to me," said Rouge to Skull.

Jiemma glared up at Sting. "Mark my words, Sting. You will pay, I swear it."

"I doubt that," said Minerva taking several steps forward. "Your reign of terror ends here father and not a moment too soon. Don't worry about your seat, it will be filled by somebody worthy since he's beating you I believe Sting should have the honour."

Orga stared at her. "She thinks that Sting should be our new master?"

"I can't," said Sting.

Jiemma glared at his daughter. "Minerva, you insolent witch! How dare you!"

Minerva merely smirked at him. "What's your mantra? 'Sabretooth has no room for losers' or is there certainly an exception to that rule."

Jiemma growled at her, but was too weak to do anything.

Minerva then looked at Sting. "Look Sting, this is your power. The power of raging emotions, it's the very advantage Hiccup had over you and try to teach you."

"I'm not sure that I understand," said Sting completely confused.

"It seems you are influenced by my father's dogmatic views on power and forgotten what your former master had taught you. 'Friends are unnecessary. Strength is everything.' But deep down in your heart you retained your Master's teachings and prove that your feelings for Hookfang are what gives you strength," Minerva explained.

A tear then rolled down Sting's cheek.

"His power lies in his emotions?" Rogue stared.

"Never thought I would hear Minerva say that," said Skull.

"Rejoice, that strength is yours to cultivate however you see fit," said Minerva. "You can even surpass Hiccup now."

"I'm sorry, but I don't think I can," said Sting still distraught by the loss of Hookfang.

"Don't worry Sting, Hookfang is alive and well," Minerva smiled.

Sting's eyes widened and he looked at her. "What?"

"It may have looked like my father's magic disintegrated him, but he was just teleported," Minerva explained. "He's probably shaking, but he saved nonetheless."

Sting looked at her with untold relief. "You mean it milady? He's still alive?" he gasped as he fell to his knees.

"What a relief," said Skull taking a deep breath.

"You can say that again," said Rouge equally relieved.

"Thank you," said Sting rubbing his eyes. "Thank you for keeping him safe, milady. You can bring him back now. Thank you."

However, Minerva approached him and looked down at him. "Don't be naïve," she said Sting looked at her. "You will see your dear Hookfang again but only after we won the _Grand Magic Games_."

"What are you saying, milady?" Sting stared. "Please stop! Bring Hookfang back now! Why are you doing this to me?"

"You should be thankful that I'm not like my father," she said coldly. "The _Sabretooth_ Guild is still destined for greatness and I won't let our status as the greatest be taken from us. Yes, you and Rouge were defeated. However, losing Hookfang seems to have given you new strength, in that respect you could say that you been reborn.

"Surely you could feel the difference, your sense of loss turned into power, one strong enough to leave my father in a helpless heap on the floor. But if we are to survive you must show the world your newfound strength only then will our guild reign the secure."

Sting was very quiet and looked at the floor.

Minerva then turned her back on to him. "Oh, and before you get in your head to blow a hole through me, remember that Hookfang's life can still come to an end if I will."

Sting got to his feet. "Milady, if I win you will return Hookfang unharmed?"

"That's right," Minerva smiled. "Just win the Games use, those feelings to crush our enemies for good."

"All right," said Sting strongly.

* * *

In the present, Sting then opened his eyes. "I will win this for Hookfang. Count on it."

"Awesome, we're back in first place," Helga cheered.

"If they keep this up we'll win the sure," said Ingrid.

"Hold your horses, lass," said Gobber. "We're not out of the woods yet."

Alvin nodded. "Sabretooth still has four members in peak condition. Plus, Lyon and Jura are out there."

Gobber nodded. "Yeah, we're just getting to the hard part."

Stoick folded his arms. "I'm starting to get worried about Valka and the others."

"Yes, they do seem to be taken a while don't they," said Hiccup the First equally as troubled. "Unfortunately, I think it's safe to assume that something has gone wrong."

* * *

Meanwhile, deep beneath the Palace, Valka and the others were still trying to find a way out in the City of Death. Toothless and Stormfly flew ahead to scout out ahead of them and soon returned.

"We're back," said Toothless.

"Any luck you two?" Valka asked.

Toothless sugars head. "No, the ceiling is completely blocked too."

"There doesn't seem to be any way out of here," said Stormfly sadly.

"I don't believe that," said Valka strongly. "The statues we saw in the entrance way prove that people have been here before to carve out the stone meaning there must be a way in and out."

"But we've been walking around for ages," Adelaide sighed.

"We still haven't found anything that resembles an exit," Merrill groaned.

"Man, my feet hurt," Ruby groaned. "How big is this place?"

"Well I've only heard rumours from the guards, but I believe it somewhere below the castle and is roughly 10 times larger than all of Crocus."

"I just had to ask," Ruby groaned.

"I wish we had the foresight to draw a map of the place while we were looking around," said Skullcrusher folding his paws.

"Well there's nothing we can do about it now," said Valka sadly. "We can rest for a few minutes, but then we have to keep on moving unless we want to die from dehydration or starvation."

"Geez, Valka you really know how to paint a picture," Ruby groaned.

"Sorry, I've never been the best community," she said apologetically.

"You know it's kind of funny, even though we're in a hopeless situation I feel at ease when I'm around you all," said Vala.

"That's what happens when you're with friends," Adelaide smiled.

"I see," said Vala quietly.

* * *

After resting for a few minutes they carried on moving across the large labyrinth.

Vala looked at Valka. "So, your Hiccup's mother aren't you?"

Valka looked at her. "Yes, that's right."

"We can you tell him that I said thank you."

"What for?"

"For the way he stood up for me, Ruby told me all about it. She said that when he heard why I was kicked out of the _Sabretooth_ , he stormed Crocus Gardens and took on the Guildhall by himself."

Valka shook her head. "He's a strong header that his father, but I can't fault him. I probably would have done the same. The Guild is supposed to treat its members like family that is why our guild has remained strong and hasn't faded over the years that we've been away. Ironically it's why I didn't return back from Edolas right away, because it like ours was in trouble duty-bound to help the members."

Cloudjumper nodded. "Your kindhearted individual."

"Just like her son," Ruby smiled. "The first time we met, he helped me in a jam I'll never forget it."

"Hiccup has a way of touching people," Adelaide smiled. "When he saved my life once I completely changed my attitude towards him."

"And he's been like a brother to me since we first met," said Merrill.

"And I've known him all my life," said Toothless with a smile.

"He is certainly a gentle hearted, young man," Stormfly agreed.

"But not afraid to show his teeth," said Skullcrusher.

"Anyway, you know what happened to Captain Throk?" Ruby asked.

Vala shook her head. "No, but I have known him for that long. _Sabretooth_ was my entire world being one of its members, I had nothing after I was kicked out even now I'm only working for the Royal Army on a temporary basis."

"She has nowhere else to go, not even a place to call home?" Ruby explained. "Her parents are gone and her sister went missing when she was little."

"I know what it's like losing everything," said Valka looking at Vala. "When I was captured, I believe that I would never see my family again. However, the gods had other plans, but I still missed Hiccup growing up."

"When I heard Hiccup went to fight for me, I felt happiness but I can't even describe, it really meant the world to me," said Vala.

"You can tell him yourself once we get out of this mess," said Valka placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Vala, is a decent girl," Skullcrusher smiled. "Loyalty and gratitude are hard to come by."

"It's a shame that _Sabretooth_ is unlike our guild, we would never have kicked her out from just losing one match," said Toothless.

Valka smiled and looked at her niece. "She looks a lot like you, Adelaide, minus the pointy ears and different colour hair of course."

"Now that you mention it," said Ruby.

"Really? I haven't noticed," said Adelaide.

"The two of you could be sisters if you weren't an elf and had the same coloured hair," said Cloudjumper.

Vala smiled as she remembered her sister.

Then suddenly the entire chamber began to shake and the ceiling looks as if it was going to cave in at any moment. Immediately, Valka and Merrill began to sniff the air as the shaking slowly stopped.

"Smell that?" Valka asked.

"It feels as if there's a new flow of air in here," said Merrill.

"It could mean there's an exit," said Skullcrusher as he flew away.

"We'll go and have a look," said Stormfly following him.

"Do you think that shaking cause a cave in somewhere?" Ruby asked.

"We can only hope," said Valka.

Merrill frowned. "Why is this scent so familiar?"

Skullcrusher and Stormfly soon returned.

"Hey, guys, there's an opening over here we can squeeze through," said Stormfly.

"Nice," said Toothless.

* * *

The passageway was indeed very narrow, so narrow that they had to shuffle the way through it and even then it was quite tight.

"This feels less like a passageway and more like melted rock," Skullcrusher noted.

"It's certainly a tight fit," said Merrill.

"Yeah, you're not kidding," said Ruby as she was struggling to shuffle through.

"Think you can manage it Vala?" Adelaide asked noticing Vala's difficulty.

"Yeah, but take a second," said Vala.

"You girls all right?" Toothless asked.

"Just about," said Merrill as she and Valka squeezed out.

"I might need a little help," said Ruby, who was pressed against the two sides of the wall.

"I'll give you a hand," said Valka helping her out.

"Glad that's over with," said Vala as she and Adelaide managed to squeeze themselves through.

"Someone is down there!" Merrill cried pointing to a man close by. "I think he might be hurt!"

When they got closer to him they recognised him almost instantly. It was Captain Throk, but he was no longer wearing his armour and he looked pretty beaten up.

"Captain Throk," Vala gasped.

"So that's who I smelled," said Merrill.

"He doesn't look well," Valka noted as she bent towards him. "Are you all right?"

Stormfly frowned. ' _The white knight_.'

"It looks pretty bad," said Toothless noting his injuries.

"How did you get here?" Ruby stared. "Was he tossed in here with the rest of us?"

"A fall would explain all of these injuries," said Vala with her hands over her mouth.

Throk then winced and turned his head towards them. "Runaway," he said.

They stared at him, but didn't follow his orders. Merrill then began to use _Healing Magic_ to heal his wounds.

"Captain Throk, what happened to you?" Vala asked.

"Hold still I'll heal you," said Merrill.

"No, forget about me," said Throk. "You have to get out of here."

"Pop goes the…" said a voice behind them. They quickly turned and saw a large shadow above them whose fist began to glow. "The criminal!"

Valka quickly grabbed Throk and all of them jumped out of the way just as a very large and beefy man slammed his fist into the ground liquefying it with just a single touch.

"What is that?" Ruby cried.

"It's acid!" Skullcrusher yelled.

"It's eating the ground away," said Stormfly.

"Is that what made the opening for us?" Merrill stared.

"My first catch of the day!" a voice cried behind her. Merrill turned and saw a creepy looking black haired man, who was wearing clothing as if he was some kind of fisherman. "And she's a beaut! What a hull!"

He then placed his hands against the ground and then immediately sent a large torrent of water directly at her. Merrill was so surprised that she hadn't had any time to count and she and the others were washed away.

"So much ow," Ruby moaned.

"Who are these guys?" said Valka.

She turned and saw plants growing next to her and then a large Venus flytrap emerged from the ground. This was followed by tolerance of purple confetti spinning around the air.

"What is that?" Adelaide stared.

"Confetti," said Vala equally surprised.

The flytrap then open to reveal a young elven girl with long brown hair. The confetti then took the form of a young woman with black hair.

"I think they attacked, Throk," said Vala.

"Get out of here," Throk groaned. "You're in danger."

"Why? Do you know who they are?" Valka asked.

"They're an independent squad that serves the Septem kingdom from the shadows," said Throk. "Ruthless, bloodthirsty executioners."

Then suddenly approaching them was a man in armour, whose lower part of his face face was completely covered by a metal visor and attached to his back he had two scythes.

"The _Hungry Wolf Hunters_ ," he said. "Command operation 1500!"

"The executioners?" Valka stared.

"They don't exactly look the part," Ruby noted.

"Trust me they're very good at their jobs," said Vala. "If the rumours are true then were facing some relentless hunters. A group of Royal execution machines, _Hungry Wolf Hunters_."

"They're the reason that it's impossible to leave this occurs in place," said Throk. "Alive anyway."

"By the authority granted by the kingdom of Septem, we the _Hungry Wolf Hunters_ will now carry out your sentence," said the man with a metal visor.

"The people who claim to serve the kingdom, you're not exactly dressed for the part," Valka noted.

"Yeah, I get what you're saying," Ruby nodded.

Merrill nodded. "None of their outfits really saying that they're part of the Royal Army."

"That's a good point, usually you would expect a group of warriors to wear the same uniforms," Adelaide agreed.

"Where are your uniforms?" Merrill asked.

The creepy black haired guy looked at them. "Wearing uniforms isn't our style. We're a secret squad so we have to stay undercover. If we wear the same thing it wouldn't be secret no more."

"I'll give you this warning," said Valka looking at them. "Stand aside and we won't hurt you."

"That's a mighty kind of ya, but if you're looking for trouble you put yourself a whopper."

"Don't let their appearances fool you, be very cautious of their magic," Throk advised. "Make one wrong move and you're as good as dead."

"I nearly died once to save my friends and I will be willing to do it again," said Valka as she spun her staff around. "If we defeat them, then we're one step closer of getting out of this mess."

"Lucky us, let's try and leave one conscious so we can ask for directions," said Adelaide.

"The two of you should get back since you don't have your keys with you," Merrill advised to Ruby and Vala. "We will take care of these guys."

Ruby and Vala took Throk and began walking a safe distance away from them.

"Can't say that I'm a fan of this sitting on the sidelines garbage," said Ruby.

"Careful, Throk, don't move too fast," said Vala as he helped support Throk.

Skullcrusher looked at Toothless and Cloudjumper and they nodded.

"Stormfly you give Ruby and Vala a hand," said Skullcrusher.

Then immediately the three Exceeds entered into their battle forms.

"It's been a while since I last fought," said Cloudjumper cracking his knuckles.

"I know what you mean," said Toothless doing the same.

"I have certainly missed it," said Skullcrusher as he raised his _Musica Sword_.

"You must stop them," said Throk weakly to Ruby and Vala. "Fighting the _Wolf Hunters_ isn't just reckless, it's suicide."

Vala looked at them. "Please everyone, be careful."

"We're ready to fight when you are," said Valka.

"Ha, there are plenty of miscreants that did not fear the _Hungry Wolf Hunters_ , but they're all dead," said the man in the visor. "Your bones will join their soon enough."

"We'll start things off," said young woman as she and the elven girl step forward. "I hope you're ready."

"I'll even fight you by myself if need be," said Valka pointing her staff at them.

"Guess they beat us to the punch again, Magnus," said the beefy guy to the fishermen.

"That ain't fair," said Magnus looking up at the beefy guy next to him. "I wanted to brawl, Ake."

"Let's do it, Cosmos," said the young woman to the elven girl as he held out some red confetti.

"We'll dazzle them with their beautiful dance, Alfhild," said Cosmos to the young woman. "Now."

Alfhild then blew the confetti towards Valka which immediately unleashed an entire wave of confetti which began to produce flames.

" _Pager blizzard! Red Dance!_ " Alfhild yelled.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, my dear but Paper Magic won't work not when I can blow them away," said Valka as he began spinning her staff unleashing a massive burst of wind.

However, strangely enough her attack had no effect and the flaming paper had expanded was now spinning around.

"No effect?" Valka stared.

"How are they not been blown away?" Ruby stared.

"My red paper is infused with fire spirits, touch them if you dare," said Alfhild as the paper then took the form of fists and headed straight towards Valka.

"Fire will not have a strong effect on me," said Valka as she gripped her staff.

However, before she could unleashed a powerful attack the paper fists began to smash into the ground.

"You have to be faster than that," she smiled.

Immediately the flaming paper then created a torrent of fire surrounding her.

"Hold on, I'm coming to help you!" Merrill cried rushing towards her. " _Sea Dragon's Roar!_ "

She then unleashed a breath attack which washed away the red confetti freeing Valka.

"Nicely done, Merrill!" Stormfly cheered.

"Let's do this together, Merrill," said Valka as he approached the young Dragon Slayer.

"I'll follow your lead, Valka," said Merrill.

Cosmos smiled at her. "Beautiful."

"Don't forget about us," said Skullcrusher.

"Hold on, we should just keep our eyes on the enemy's movements were now," said Adelaide holding her hand out to stop him. "Let Merrill and Valka handle this."

"I agree," said Toothless.

"We need to watch the others," Cloudjumper nodded.

Valka and Merrill then started running towards their opponents.

"You ready for this Merrill?" Valka asked.

"Let's go," said Merrill.

" _Sky Dragon's Wind Slice!_ " Valka yelled spinning her staff around creating a giant tornado of wind directly at the two girls.

"Ah, a couple Dragon Slayers," said Alfhild with a large smile as he jumped out of the way and the vortex.

Merrill then appeared directly behind her. " _Sea Dragon's Tsunami Claw!_ " Merrill yelled and swung her fist covered in water.

However Alfhild quickly created a shield out of white confetti and blocked the attack.

"And such lovely long hair," said Cosmos.

"You should be more focused on what's behind you," said Valka appearing directly behind her and swung her fist of wind directly at her.

However she was able to block it by creating a flytrap. "You have beautiful hair also, but I'm more into younger girls."

Valka frowned at her. "I beg your pardon."

Magnus shook his head. "Shoot, this is boring."

"They're just toying with them," said Ake.

Valka and Merrill then jumped back and stood side-by-side taking a deep breath.

" _Sea Dragon's_ …"

" _Sky Dragon's…_ "

" _Roar!_ " they yelled together unleashing their breath attacks.

Their attacks combined into one unleashing a great tornado of water straight at them.

"Way to go!" Ruby cheered.

"Their teamwork is truly spectacular," said Vala in awe.

"I don't sense anymore," said Skullcrusher. "Did we get them?"

"I think that's just wishful thinking," said Toothless.

Adelaide nodded. "I agree that concealing their magic power."

When the smoke finally cleared they found a flytrap covered in red confetti indicating they had combined their magics to protect themselves.

"A planned bud with red paper on it," Merrill stared.

Then suddenly shooting out in all directions were vines which knocked them back. The flytrap then opened and their standing before them were Alfhild and Cosmos completely unharmed.

"We are truly spectacular team," said Cosmos.

"Be good little lawbreakers and take your punishment," said Alfhild.

"So the elf uses _Plant Magic_ ," said Toothless.

"I don't get it, how are they giving us so much trouble?" Stormfly frowned. "Paper and plants should be easy pickings for water and wind users."

Cosmos laughed. "Thing so pretty kitty? We can put your theory to the test if you like, what are you say love?"

"Of course I still have plenty of colours to show them," said Alfhild as he held out yellow confetti and gave it a gentle blow.

Immediately all of them are blinded by a bright light.

"I can't say anything!" Adelaide cried.

"I did know people could be used like this," said Skullcrusher.

"It's only easy to see why they're so formidable," said Cloudjumper.

Merrill managed to break away from the paper, but Cosmos now had a clear line of sight.

"I've got you now," she said and a brief second later vines wrap themselves around Merrill's arms and legs. They were also covered with boards that were striking Merrill.

"Merrill!" Valka yelled.

Then she was struck backwards by a blasts of ice. It originated from Alfhild, who was now unleashing a burst of white paper.

"Take a moment to call off and you feel much better," she said.

Valka's body was now slowly being frozen. "If you think this can hold me, you're sadly mistaken."

She then shattered the ice and then unleashed a powerful tornado, but then she herself was called by the vines.

"Oh no!" Merrill cried.

"Your magic complements mind beautifully as always," Cosmos smiled at her partner.

"I can't move," said Valka as he struggled to break free.

"All of these horns are pricking me," Merrill cried.

"To lawbreakers captured," said Alfhild.

"I guess all that's left is to execute them," said Cosmos.

Then suddenly appearing out of the ground below them were flytrap which then opened their doors and their tongues launched out the pods.

"Gross, what are those things?" Ruby stared.

"Carnivorous plants," said Vala.

The vines were slowly lowering Valka and Merrill into the plant's mouths.

"They'll be killed!" Skullcrusher stared.

"Don't where they we're going to get you out of there," Adelaide assured.

"Stand back, we can handle this," said Valka stopping Adelaide and the others in their tracks.

"She's is certainly confident," said Alfhild.

"I wonder if that confidence will remain as she is eaten alive," said Cosmos.

Valka looked at Merrill as they were being lowered into the plant's mouth. "You ready, Merrill?" she asked.

"Whenever you are," said Merrill.

Valka then took a deep breath and unleashed her breath attack. The wind struck with such force that it sliced right through the vines wrapped around Merrill.

" _Sea Dragon's Tidal Wave!_ " Merrill yelled and unleashed a powerful surge of water that also sliced through the vines much to the astonishment of Alfhild and Cosmos.

"That's awesome," Ruby beamed. " _Dragon Slayer_ teams are unstoppable."

"And here I thought Hiccup and Eret worked well together," said Skullcrusher as Valka and Merrill landed on the ground safely.

"It makes sense considering that Valka is the mother of Merrill's mentor," said Adelaide.

"Not to mention their magics work well together," Toothless added.

"All right, you ready?" Merrill asked.

"Ready for battle," said Valka as she grabbed her staff of the floor.

Immediately the two of them unleashed their attacks upon Alfhild and Cosmos, but the two ladies dodged them. However the attack was causing the entire cavern to shake.

"Must they be so dramatic?" Stormfly asked.

"At least there in perfect sync," said Toothless.

"The _Hungry Wolf Hunters_ are being pushed back?" said Throk in astonishment. "Just how powerful are they?"

"Hiccup taught Merrill relying on your team is essential in combat," said Ruby. "As a result he's been training her to anticipate her partner's moves and Valka is the same. I like to believe actually thinking what the other is thinking."

Valka and Merrill stood back to back and nodded before rushing in once again.

Vala just stared at them. "The two trust one another, what a powerful bond. That must be why _Dragon Tail_ Vikings are so strong."

"Don't drop your guard," said Throk. "This fight is far from over. The executioner is true techniques are yet to come."

The man in the visor watched as the fighting continued. "Magnus, Ake," he said.

Ake smiled. "You got it, Calder." He then turned to the fight. "All right freshwater, let's splash this party!"

"Let all hull them in," said Magnus.

"There's two more," said Adelaide as they rushed in. "It's our turn guys."

"We're right behind you," said Skullcrusher.

"Hook line and sinker!" Magnus yelled as he flung his fishing rod upwards.

Immediately all of them were blown away by a large gush of water. Ake then jumped into the air with his glowing fist right in front of Toothless and the other battle form Exceeds. Fortunately, Skullcrusher was able to block the attack with his _Musica Sword_ , but the attack caused the ground beneath them to liquefy.

"Cheaters!" Ruby yelled. "It was two-on-two! Where is your sense of honour?"

"We never accepted any formal challenge," Alfhild pointed out.

"Our only goal is to execute you lawbreakers," said Cosmos.

"We were just testing the waters is all," said Magnus.

"That's some very powerful stuff," Skullcrusher noted.

"Keep your distance around chubby," Adelaide advised.

Ake laughed. "What's the matter? Can't take the heat hot stuff?"

Both Valka and Merrill were somehow floating up in the air.

"Keep your balance, Merrill," said Valka.

"I'm trying," said Merrill.

"Even if it was just a moment, you made a complete disarray of our beautiful handiwork," said Cosmos looking at them with a disapproving look. "And you will suffer the punishment, I promise you it won't be pleasant."

"We'll see about that," said Valka.

Then suddenly a vine struck Valka sending her flying.

"Valka you okay?" Merrill cried.

Then suddenly she found herself falling to the ground.

"This isn't the time for you to worry about others my dear," said Alfhild is a great wind of confetti blew around her.

Merrill looked up and saw that she was trapped in some sort of paper container which was somehow afflicting her image.

" _Illusion Magic_ ," she said. "No problem, I should be able to break through."

" _Sea Dragon's Roar!_ " Merrill cried and unleashed a powerful breath attack but tour through the paper container.

Then she found landing in front of her was Cosmos. "Simply beautiful," she said.

"What in the heck is this?" Merrill stared.

She didn't noticed the flight beneath her feet which then swallowed her whole. "Soon you will dance with Hela as my corpse flower blooms from your blood."

"Merrill!" Valka cried.


	56. Dragon Tail vs Executioners

Merrill opened her eyes and found herself covered in some sort of slime, where ever she was it was completely dark.

"Hey, what happened to me? Where am I?" she asked. She soon found that she was completely trapped. "I'm completely trapped, why can't I move?"

Merrill was inside the flytrap which Cosmos had created and who was standing outside smiling. "Soon you will dance with Hela as my corpse flower blooms from your blood."

"Hang in there, Merrill! I'm coming!" Valka yelled.

However, before she could make a single move she tripped. She looked down and saw that Cosmos had wrapped her legs around with her thorny vines.

"How ungraceful," Cosmos smirked. "Besides it's far too late, but digests and has begun and her sweet life is ending."

"I cannot let you get away with this!" Stormfly cried.

Toothless quickly stopped her before she could take a single step. "Don't do it, Stormfly. It's too dangerous."

"There's no need to worry, she will soon be reincarnated," said Cosmos calmly. "How remains will become dazzling blooms."

"Lady, you are one messed up gardener," said Toothless.

"I couldn't agree more," said Stormfly.

Ake smiled at Adelaide in the Exceeds.

"Oh, why are you just standing around? Your little friend is in hot water," he pointed out.

"He's got a point," said Adelaide looking at the others. "I'll go help Merrill. Can you guys stay around and fight him?"

"You've got it," said Toothless.

"Just leave him to us," said Skullcrusher.

"Sounds like a party," Ake smiled.

"Yes, but you aren't invited," said Cloudjumper.

Ake's fist then began to glow. " _Slosh!_ " he said and slammed his fist towards them.

Just like before Skullcrusher blocked it with his _Musica Sword_ allowing Adelaide to rush towards Merrill. Toothless then to a powerful punch to his face followed by a powerful kick from Cloudjumper and that was then followed by a devastating elbow from Skullcrusher.

"I'm coming, Merrill!" Adelaide cried running as quickly as he could. "Hold on!"

Then she immediately activated her _Take Over Magic_ and were soon covered by a bright light. When the light faded she was now standing there in a geometric printed body suit with a blue and white dress coat adorned by an over-sized black collar supported by two belts which corsets her waist and a black cape. She had grown a pair of horns on the side of her head and hair had also grown as well. She also grown a pair of claws and royal blue markings appeared on her legs.

Vala stared at her as she unleashed a blast of _Dark Magic_ that completely decimated the area. She then jumped into the dust hiding herself in view.

"Oh, my look at her," said Alfhild.

"Such a dangerous beauty," said Cosmos

"Merrill!" Adelaide yelled and smashed right through the flytrap which was just a single swing of her fist.

"Thanks Adelaide?" Merrill smiled.

"Whoa, that was awesome! Way to go!" Ruby cheered.

"What form is that?" Stormfly stared.

"That's her Vengeance Form, the most powerful of the Demon Souls," said Toothless.

Vala just stared at Adelaide. "Amazing."

Merrill was now in Adelaide arms. "Are you okay?" she asked.

Merrill removed the slime around her. "I am, all thanks to you."

"Nice going, Adelaide," Valka approaching her.

Vala was still mesmerised. "I don't believe it, that's her?"

She looked nothing like the one she had seen before, happy and carefree. She now looked fierce and dangerous.

"Whoa," said Cosmos looking impressed.

"What strange magic," said Alfhild.

Calder nodded in agreement. "Yes, _Take Over Spells_ are unusual indeed."

"That's just one of Adelaide's many forms," said Stormfly.

"And the most powerful among them," Toothless added.

"I never would have known that was her," said Throk.

"Oh yeah, she's one of our most powerful members and one she is in this form there's nothing to be afraid of," Ruby smiled.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that," said Toothless.

"Indeed," Stormfly nodded. "She's probably the most frightening one of all of us her."

Alfhild then unleashed more White paper. "Freeze inside my _Paper Blizzard!_ " she yelled.

"I can easily blow that way," said Valka as she unleashed a breath attack.

The two attacks collided and created a small explosion.

"Let them have it, guys!" Ruby yelled.

Then unknown to them Cosmos had created vines behind them which were now directly above them.

"Ruby!" Valka yelled.

"I'll cut it down!" Skullcrusher yelled running towards them.

He raised his _Musica Sword_ which then extended and sliced right through the vines.

"I see, so the feline's sword can change sizes as well," Calder noted.

"Gosh," said Magnus.

"Now that out of the way, I can focus on chubby again," said Skullcrusher.

"We all can," said Toothless as he and Cloudjumper joined him.

"A pussycats, just one slosh and I can melt all that fur right off you," said Ake with a large smirk.

"In that case we'll just have to cut you off first," said Skullcrusher.

Alfhild then pulled out some purple confetti. " _Paper Blizzard! Purple Dance!_ "

Immediately purple paper began flying around them and then attach themselves onto them. The moment they did Valka and the others found it impossible to move.

"What is this," Valka stared.

"I feel I can paralysed," said Adelaide as she struggled to move.

"It's all over me," Ruby cried.

"It some kind of started element spell," Merrill panicked.

"Every single piece holds the spirit of confinement," Alfhild smirked.

"Our harmony is quite lovely," said Cosmos as he stepped forward. " _Grow Flow!_ "

Immediately launch out of the ground was an enormous flower that positioned itself above Valka and the others.

"That's huge," said Valka.

"Is that a plant or a monster?" Merrill panicked.

"Is it some kind of summoning magic?" Ruby stared.

"Feast my head, gorge away let their lives nourish you," Cosmos commanded.

Immediately everyone found themselves being blown off her feet and heading straight towards the centre of the flower which was somehow sucking them towards it.

"It's sucking us up!" Skullcrusher yelled.

"Ah, running away are ya," Ake smirked. "Your loss, I would have killed you a lot quicker."

"Shut your mouth!" Skullcrusher roared.

"We will make easy work on you," Toothless spat.

Vala had been touched by the paralysing paper and was very holding a stalagmite, but it broke apart and she found herself being sucked into what's the flower.

"Vala!" Adelaide cried grabbing her, but even their combined weight did nothing to slow them down. Adelaide then looked down and saw Merrill was still on the ground. "Merrill!"

"I gotta," she said. " _Oh sea cleanse us of our almonds, restore our bodies with your calming waters! Raise!_ "

Immediately Valka and the others saw that their bodies were glowing with a bright blue.

"I'm glowing," Ruby stared.

The lights then made the papers attach their bodies vanish and able to move once again.

"I can move again," said Valka.

"Which means we can fight," said Skullcrusher.

"What do we do?" Ruby asked.

"Destroy it!" Cloudjumper yelled.

"Altogether," said Valka.

"Yeah," Adelaide and the Exceeds yelled.

Valka began to spin her staff around. " _Sky Dragon's Raging Tornado!_ " she yelled and then unleashed a powerful tornado from her staff.

Also collided with the attacks from both Adelaide and the Exceeds causing a massive explosion.

"Uh-oh, I think the situation is about to get much worse," Ruby cried as she too was consumed by the explosion.

* * *

In the Palace, Princess Mala looked up as if she sensed something was off. Behind her the guards were talking to one another.

"No way, is that true?"

"Yeah, the dispatch just came in."

"That's great news."

"It will all be taken care of."

"They should be able to wipe out that scum in no time."

One of the guards looked at Mala. "Princess, the _Hungry Wolf Hunters_ have been sent down to execute the prisoners."

Mala turned to face them with a slightly troubled look on her face. The guards did notice as they were too busy talking to one another with gleeful looks.

"There's good as dead now."

"No kidding, I'm sure the Hunters will make easy work of them."

Mala grimaced. ' _No, this isn't as going as I planned. I hope you can make it alive, please be safe Throk._ '

* * *

Valka pulled herself out of some bubble and found herself in entirely new area. It looked like it was some sort of corridor and there was no sign of the others or the Hunters. She looked up and saw massive holes in the ceiling and the Jews that she had fallen through yet again.

"I'm getting quite tired of falling," she said. She then began to look around for the others. "Is anyone else here?"

There was no answer.

Then Calder landed behind her. "It would appear that the blast of yours has scattered your comrades far and wide. But my subordinates are single-minded in their work, rest assured none of you will ever leave this place."

"I came down here to get Ruby and I'm not going to leave about," she said strongly as she turned to face him. "If I have to find you to get out of here then I will."

"We will soon see it that criminal," said Calder.

* * *

Merrill wandered through another corridor trying to find the others, but there was no trace of them.

"Oh no, I don't see anyone else down here," she said in a panic voice. "What am I going to do? I can't even send their power."

"Exquisite," said a creepy voice behind her.

Merrill turned and saw Cosmos standing upon a flytrap.

"Perhaps delicately beautiful is a better description," she said with a loving look. "But still you must die."

* * *

Toothless, Skullcrusher and Cloudjumper were in a cavern facing Ake.

"This is bad," said Skullcrusher to the others. "We should have tried to stay with them."

"It was certainly careless of us," Cloudjumper agreed.

"Nothing we can do about it now," said Toothless.

Ake laughed.

"We should be more concerned Ruby and Vala, because without their Gate Keys they are completely defenceless," said Toothless.

"If we are to help them we must deal with him," said Cloudjumper facing Ake.

"Oh yeah," Ake smiled as he pulled out a bottle. "Well, I see things differently. I think you're in my way, but not for long."

They watched as he began to drink the liquid which was glowing purple.

* * *

Adelaide too was in a cavern trying to find Ruby and Vala.

"Ruby? Vala? Can you hear me?" she called. There was no reply. "Why did they go? I need to find them before those Hunters do."

She then heard the sound of rustling paper and turned around and saw Alfhild standing behind.

"You should be worried about your own safety, don't you think?" she advised.

"I'm sure I'll be fine," said Adelaide confidently. "Tell me do you happen to know where my friends ran off too?"

"The same place you're going, to the afterlife," she said holding out a paper.

* * *

Ruby, Vala, Throk and Stormfly had fallen through a large hall into one of the corridors and were the moment face flat on the floor.

"I could have certainly done without that," Stormfly moaned.

"Valka over did it," Ruby groaned. "Like mother like son."

"I wonder how far down we have fallen?" Vala wandered.

"No clue," said Stormfly as they got up. "Though I imagine that we have fallen several levels."

"Wait, did we get separated from the others?" Ruby asked noticing that the others were nowhere to be seen. "We've got to find them."

"And typically I find myself in the most defenceless bunch imaginable," Stormfly moaned.

"And without Gate Keys we can't summon any spirits to help us," Vala added.

"Then we better find the others before those Hunters find us," said Ruby.

"I'm afraid it a little late for that, girls," said a voice.

They turned and saw standing on one of the statues within the corridor was Magnus with a large smirk on his face.

"Him again," Ruby stared.

"Looks like I've got myself a fine catch," Magnus smiled. "And I didn't had to use anything to catch ya."

"You know, he doesn't seem to fit in with the rest of his scary crew, does he?" Ruby asked.

Stormfly nodded. "He is about as terrifying as a rabbit."

"But still…" Vala frowned.

"You better listen to your friend, because you don't want to make me mad," said Magnus wiggling a finger at them.

Ruby looked at Vala. "Can you fight? Because we'll have to face without using magic."

Vala nodded. "Yes, I've actually had a little bit of training in hand-to-hand combat."

"No, please, don't do it. Run away," Throk pleaded.

"Captain Throk," Vala stared.

"You mustn't engage him," Throk said weakly. "Magnus, he's too strong. I've heard tales of his magic, he annihilates his victims not even their bones are left behind."

"This goofball," said Ruby sceptically.

"You just made me mad," said Magnus.

* * *

Meanwhile Valka was facing Calder in one of the corridors.

"Before I take your life, you should pray forgiveness for your sins," said Calder.

"I have already been forgiven with one might bigger sins, the others mean very little to me," said Valka.

Calder narrowed his eyes at her. "Reflect on your past carefully, clear your conscience. I will allow you a moment to do this before I strike you down."

"I told you, I care very little of my other sins," said Valka strongly. "My largest was nothing compared to the others and I've only sought forgiveness but that."

* * *

Meanwhile at the Coliseum, Stoick frowned slightly.

"Is something the matter, Master?" Gustav asked.

"I'm fine, just thinking back on all those letters of apology I have written," said Stoick. "And still quite amazing how much trouble we have caused in the past and the number of regrettable decisions we have made."

"I think we did anything wrong," said Ruffnut.

"Yeah, we've never cause trouble," said Tuffnut.

Gobber looked at him. "You two and Snotlout destroy every single city that you enter. Thankfully ever since Hiccup rejoined us the pressures been taken off."

"Because my son knows something called self-control," said Hiccup.

"Destroyed stuff as well," Ruffnut pointed out.

"I said he has learned something self-control, I never said anything about his opponents," said Stoick.

Gustav frowned slightly. "And what was going on with Valka and her team. They've been in there for quite some time. We should have heard something by now."

"We have to maintain our faith in them," said Stoick strongly. "And never give up hope."

"We also need a plan of action for when they do come back," said Hiccup the First. "If we win there is a chance we can meet with the king and explain the situation to him. But I have a feeling that many letters of apology are upon us."

"I know," Stoick groaned. "I just hope a letter is all that it will take."

"To be honest with you, I've lost count to the number of letters I have begged forgiveness," said Hiccup the First. "Sometimes the letters would stack up so high it would feel the Guild house door house to the ceiling and all the invoices for damages, the bills within reimbursement and cost estimates for repairs."

"I'm glad I'm not alone in this feeling, First Master," said Stoick gloomily.

"It's a big part of the Guild Master's job," Hiccup the First sighed.

"Well back to the games," said Gustav looking at the screens. "It seems like the match stalled out."

"Well the capital is huge and there aren't many competitors left," Wartihog pointed out.

"The ones that are still in it are super powerful too," Helga frowned. "I guess everybody is playing it safe, who knows who you might run into coming around the corner."

* * *

Neria was still wondering around the city trying not to be discovered.

"Looks like the coast is clear, awesome," she said looking around the corner. She then turned the screens which showed the scores in the number of teammates remaining. "I mean, that's awesome. What sucks is that Camicazi and I are the only ones left on our whole team, we're totally outnumbered. What should I do now? "

She then scratched her head. "Maybe I should go try and look for her so at least we can have each other's back."

She then heard something and saw a cat. "Meow, what a pretty kitty," she said excitedly. "Command precious, come here pretty kitty kitty. Such a cutie do you want snuggles? Come here and I'll give you a lot of snuggles."

She was so busy hypnotised by the cavity fail to notice that on one of the rooftops was Minerva looking down at her.

* * *

Meanwhile Valka was still facing Calder, who wasn't looking too impressed at her.

"If you've made your peace, it's time to die," he said. "You must pay for your transgressions."

"You're not the first man do ever tell me that," said Valka as she spun her staff around her. "And all of them have fallen before me. Unless you want to become like them I suggest that you stand aside."

Calder did no such thing and pulled out his scythes and swung one of them at her. She was able to dodge it by leaning back and then he did the same with the other and she darted in the same way. The blade was so sharp that it went straight through one of the pillars and then he raised his right scythe no doubt to deal the final blow. Valka jumped into the air to dodge the attack and somersaulted behind him.

"Why do you run from me?" Calder asked.

"You seriously have to ask that question," she said.

"For your crimes I must collect your head," he said turning to face.

"You are taking this execution thing a bit too far," she said as he stood up straight.

"I am the hand of justice, what is truly frightening is criminals who believe that one sin outweighs the others," he said looking at her with disdain.

"You certainly have a one track mind," said Valka.

Then the two of them charge at one another.

* * *

Meanwhile the Exceeds combatants were facing Ake, who was swaying his fists unleashing acid upon them. They were able to dodge his attack, but he had completely liquefy the ground around him.

He then laughed at them. "What happened? I thought you guys were going to beat me, did you get too scared?"

"Do you really think that we go rushing in to a guy who uses acid?" said Toothless.

"Do you take is for foolish," Skullcrusher glared.

"And this here is some extra power stuff," Ake smirked. "They can turn a big old sword of yours into a big old puddle goo."

"It looks as if he gains his power from the bottle," said Toothless as they watched Ake drinking down the bottle.

"Whatever it contents it small, but appears to have an endless supply," Cloudjumper analysed.

"Looks like the only way were going to beat him into getting close," said Skullcrusher.

Then immediately the three of them went their separate ways hiding behind three different pillars.

"Hey, running and hiding ain't to help you!" Ake roared. "We do not need to be here forever, you know! It's happy hour for me!"

He then slammed the glowing fist into the ground unleashing acid across the floor and disintegrating the pillars they were hiding behind. However, just before he attacked the three of them use their speed to appear behind him to take him down.

Ake, however, quickly dodged the first of Toothless and then spun around slamming him into Cloudjumper. He then jumped out of the way as Skullcrusher slammed his Musica Sword down, but then he slammed the blade into the ground and spread dust across the field.

"So you wanna play hide and seek do you?" Ake yelled disintegrating the dust around them.

Toothless and Cloudjumper then used the cover to appear behind him ready to deal the final blow. However, Ake saw this coming and slammed his fist into the ground unleashing more acid blocking their path.

"Nice try, kitties!" he yelled knocking them back.

The attack caused the ground to give way and Toothless and Cloudjumper joined with Skullcrusher both exhausted.

Ake laughed. "You can play all the little games you want, not a single one of them are going to get you out of here alive. There's more than one way to skin a cat, but I like to do it with acid!"

* * *

Adelaide was having similar problems with Alfhild, who was unleashing her red paper which spun around Adelaide.

"I remember you now," said Alfhild. "They told you Adelaide the Demon. You will want a very powerful Viking, weren't you?" She then stopped to attack at Adelaide and she fell to her knees. "But looking at you now I find it extremely hard to believe. So we can emotional, what happened to you?"

"Me? What about you?" Adelaide asked looking at her. "The magic you use is so pretty and colourful, why do you just use it to kill people?"

"What's this," Alfhild stared. "Are you trying to give me some kind of lecture? That absolutely ridiculous coming from a criminal, but I'll tell you what I'll do for you. I'll give you the prettiest and most colourful death."

* * *

Meanwhile Merrill was facing Cosmos, who was unleashing more of her horn covered vines at her, but she was able to dodge them.

"I am Cosmos, what about you beautiful?" she asked looking at Merrill. "Will you tell me your name?"

"I'm Merrill Sliverleaf," she said.

Cosmos smiled at her. "What a lovely name. I will remember it fondly, but like I said you still must die such as your fate."

Merrill narrowed her eyes. "That's what you think. I'm a _Dragon Tail_ Viking that means there's no way you can beat me or any of my friends!"

Cosmos laughed. "I'm a Hungry Wolf which means I will fulfil my duty to the kingdom and you and your friends will die."

Immediately growing out of the ground with trees.

"What are those?" Merrill stared.

Immediately plums began to grow from the trees much to Merrill's bewilderment.

"They are my special lovely magic fruit," Cosmos smiled as she sat on a tree branch. "Now eat up!"

Immediately the trees by the plums from their branches straight at Merrill, who sadly had no time to defend herself and soon found herself covered by them.

* * *

Meanwhile Magnus had got onto his feet and was looking down at Ruby and the others seriously.

" _Terrain Effect Magic! Lava Zone!_ " he yelled crossing his arms over one another.

Then immediately the ground began to shake and the entire field began to change as a red glow appeared in the cracks on the surface.

"This is not going to be good," said Ruby.

Vala nodded. "Yeah."

"The ground is burning!" Stormfly gasped. "What do we do?"

"Is it too late?" said Throk weakly.

Then immediately the ground began to break apart and rather began to sue from the cracks within the surface. Everyone tried to stay as calm as possible and maintain the balance of the chunks of rock still solid.

"Vala! Ruby!" Throk cried as he saw the two girls losing their balance.

Then he himself was carried off the ways of lava and both Ruby and Vala lost their grip. They immediately grabbed hold of the ledge of the rock they were standing on, but the heat from the lava was intense and they felt the grip slipping.

"Just hang on, I'm coming," said Stormfly flying down towards them.

"I don't think so," said Magnus as he pointed to fingers upwards. Immediately Stormfly found herself loading up towards the ceiling. "There's nothing like fishing."

"I'm a fish I'm an Exceed!" Stormfly yelled indignantly.

" _Terrain Effect: Gravity Zone!_ " said Magnus pointing his fingers downwards.

Stormfly then found herself slamming against the rocks as an invisible force was patting her against it.

"Oh no," Ruby panicked. "She's in trouble!"

"I feel like our way a ton," Stormfly winced. "He's using some kind of _Gravity Controlling Spell_."

Ruby looked down and saw that they were getting closer towards the lava.

"Stay strong," she said to Vala. "We can get through this!"

"I know, but I'm afraid at this rock is going to crumble away," said Vala.

"He was right," Magnus smiled. "There will be nothing left of you to create a pyre when I'm done."

"No," Throk stared as Ruby and Vala got closer and closer towards the lava. "I have to do something."

They were getting dangerously close to what the lava, so close and that the lava was now melting their boots. They fought with everything they could to hold onto the ledge, but they were weakening.

Throk then got to his feet. "I can't let you die. The fate of the world is counting on you for the _Eclipse_!"

"I'm sorry, Throk," Vala cried.

Ruby glared at him. "Are you crazy? Why are you still talking about that? I told you that I wasn't going to be any part of it."

Throk then began to walk towards the edge. "The _Eclipse_ will save the world, you are the keys to its success. My life is not as important." They stared as Throk stepped into the lava. "I'm willing to sacrifice myself to save you!"

"No, please!" Vala begged.

"Wait, what in the heck are you doing?" Ruby cried.

Despite the lava burning at his skin, Throk kept on moving through it towards them with a very determined look on his face.


	57. Scorching Earth

Throk with pain all his strength in his will as he made his way through the lava much to the bewilderment of everyone.

"No, don't do it!" Vala cried.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Ruby screamed.

"I have no choice!" Throk roared.

"Well, I'll be," said Magnus staring at him in bewilderment. "I ain't never seen someone that crazy."

Throk finally managed to reach them just as the soles of their boots melted away and then put everything he had into lifting them back onto the rock.

"Climb up, quickly," he said weakly.

"But what about you?" Vala cried.

"Don't worry about me, just go," he said as he began to sink into the lava. "The two of you must survive."

"Quick yapping," said Ruby extending her hand out the moment they got onto the rock. "We're save so get out!"

"Please, listen to me," Throk pleaded. "If you do manage to leave this place alive you have to meet with Princess Mala… seek her out."

Then all his strength left his body and he began to sink into the lava.

"Grab our hands, please," Vala begged.

"You have to reach for us, hurry!" Ruby cried. "You do not have to die like this!"

Stormfly just stared at her. "He is willing to throw away his life just so Ruby and Vala can live? It doesn't make sense my premonition can't come true as he died."

Throk looked up at the two of them as the lava reached his shoulders. "The two of you can decide if the _Eclipse Project_ is what we need."

"Please don't," Vala begged.

Ruby looked away as Throk's head sank beneath the lava.

"Throk, no!" Vala screamed. He then disappeared from sight. "But why? It's not fair, I really am bad luck! You should get away from the!"

Ruby turned out Vala cried. "Don't say that."

"Saved in the nick of time," said a muffled voice within the lava.

The two girls turned and stared as Horologium emerged from the lava with Throk within his case.

"Horologium!" Ruby stared. "But how in the heck did you get down here?"

Vala frowned. "I'm not familiar with this Celestial Spirit."

"Lady Ruby, would this be a case about the flying pan and into the fire?" Horologium asked looking around.

"It's about to be for this sorry hick," said a second voice.

"Hick!" Magnus yelled indignantly.

Ruby turned to astonishment she saw Leo standing there holding her key case. Leo then looked at Ruby with a smile. "How's it going Ruby? I thought you might want to appease!"

"Leo!" Ruby cried.

Vala just stared in awe. "That's Leo the Lion?"

"I see," said Magnus finally catching on. "Those are spirits, huh?"

Ruby then patted her key case to her belt and Leo handed Vala her keys.

"Here, I have yours too," he said placing the keys in her hand.

Vala just stared at him. "Wow, I can't thank you enough." She then immediately hugged her to Zodiac keys. "I'm so sorry, it won't happen again I swear."

Ruby smiled at her.

Stormfly felt the gravity magic fading and sat up. "Now that they have a keys again, it's a whole different match now."

"Then keys are for spirits?" Magnus stared. "I think I get it now, that must mean the two of you got at the…"

Ruby smirked. "Your worst nightmare."

"The two of them have some really powerful spirits at their disposal," Stromfly smirked.

Leo looked at Ruby. "You ready?"

Ruby nodded.

He then turned to face Magnus. "All the Zodiac keys are gathered as one, you're in hot water."

"Oh, fish sticks," Magnus groaned.

* * *

Meanwhile Valka had just clashed with Calder with the fist of wind and was pushed back. The executioner had tried to strike her down with his scythes, but he was nimbly able to dodge them.

"You are truly a light footed lawbreaker," Calder noted. "A stark contrast with the weight of your crimes."

"I'm getting quite sick of you talking," said Valka. "I clearly have the advantage, I can attack you distance, but are you to vanquish me you have to get in close."

"You can run from your sins all you like, but you can never escape them!" Calder yelled slamming his two scythes together and for the first time Valka notice the repair of palms attached to the end of them. "They are a part of you, etched into the very fabric of your soul and memories."

The palms then began to glow and Valka watched as the palms appeared over her body.

"What is this?" Valka demanded.

"They are proof of your offences, you can never wash clean of them," said Calder. "Does your heart not from such destruction?"

Valka closed her eyes. "My heart rate was something else far greater a long time ago. I had every opportunity to return to my family, but I never did and to me that is my greatest sin."

"Ah, so that is why you do not weight your other sins on top of that one," said Calder in understanding. "However, there is no excuse for the other sins that you have not paid penance for. I shall behead you from where you stand!"

Immediately the two palms on top of his two scythes touched one another upside down. " _Execution Technique! Guillotine Justice!_ "

Immediately the two scythes folded into one another forming a giant saw blade which spun around and headed straight towards Valka.

"Just great," she said not noticing the palms of her body glowing. She then dodged the attack as it ripped across the ground and looked towards Calder. "You will have to do better than that."

Calder narrowed his eyes and then one of the marks on Valka began to glow. Immediately the saw blade made a U-turn and headed straight towards unfortunately she saw this coming and dodged just in time. She then saw the sorbet was coming back towards her yet again, somehow it was following her.

"I told you before you can run from sin, but you can never escape it," he said folding his arms. "It will relentlessly pursue the marks on your flesh until justice has been served."

Valka dodged the saw blade yet again, but this time as little too close for comfort. No matter how many times he tried to dodge the saw blade kept on heading towards getting closer with each and every attack.

"Reflect upon your sins and despair," said Calder extending his arm forward.

* * *

Meanwhile Ruby and the others were facing Magnus and now they had their keys it was a whole different game now.

"Well, this situation has gone crazy," said Magnus.

Ruby turned and smiled at Horologium. "Thanks for the save, Horologium."

Horologium was with Stormfly, who was tending to Throk who had fallen unconscious.

"Any time, it was an exceptional close call though," he said before he vanished.

"It would seem as if he still breathing," said Stormfly. "Though I'm impressed that he even survived."

"Let's serve up some vengeance," said Ruby as she pulled out the Virgo's.

"Prepare yourself," said Vala as she pulled out Libra's key.

"Fish in a barrel," said Magnus extending his arms forward. " _Terrain Effect: Gravity Zone!_ "

" _Open! Gate of the Balance! Libra!_ " Vala called.

Immediately there was a bright golden light and appearing from it was none other than Libra holding her scales in each hand as she spun around.

" _Gravity Change! Counterbalance!_ " she said as her scales began to glow.

Immediately the two gravity spells colliding with one another counselling each other out.

"What?" Magnus stared.

"Counterbalance complete," said Libra.

Stormfly smiled. "I like where this is going."

"You can't just change the gravity!" Magnus roared.

Stormfly narrowed her eyes. "Question? Why are humans always such hypocrites?"

Magnus extending his hand yet again. " _Terrain Effect: Gale Force!_ "

Immediately a powerful gust of wind filled the entire cavern and Ruby had a hole down her skirt. Sadly for her Leo was standing directly behind her and her skirt was a bit on the short side.

"Yeah, got a nice view from back here," he smiled.

"Start looking!" Ruby snapped.

Stormfly was doing her best to hold onto Throk, but the man was quite large for her.

" _Open! Gate of the Maiden! Virgo!_ " Ruby yelled.

Virgo then appeared out of the ground folding her arms.

"Why can't I catch a girl like that?" Magnus moaned.

Virgo landed in front of Ruby and bowed. "I'm at your service mistress." She then turned towards Leo. "And it is nice to see you again Sir Leo."

Leo merely smiled. "It's nice to fight alongside you again Virgo."

"And now that the yapping!" Magnus yelled looking frustrated and made the wind even more fierce.

"Do you think Virgo," said Ruby.

"Then did I shall," said Virgo as she spun around and drilled into the floor beneath her.

Ruby then looked at Leo. "Get him!"

"Say no more," said Leo and dashed forwards.

Immediately the ground beneath Ruby and Vala gave way and they found themselves quite safe from the wind. Virgo had also created a hole for Stormfly and Throk, who too was safe from the wind.

"It's much safer down here," Stromfly smiled.

Leo jumped into the air and to his right on top of Magnus and his fists began to glow. He then slammed his fist downwards and Magnus jumped in the nick of time, the statue had been standing upon broke apart the moment it may contact with Leo's fist.

Leo then began giving chase winning his golden fist left and right. Virgo looked out of the hole and saw the entire thing.

"Mistress, the enemy seems to be dodging Sir Leo's attack without much effort," she said.

"Mr Hook and Rod, is more nimble than he looks," Ruby frowned.

"I suppose you can't judge someone by their appearance alone," said Vala.

Leo merely readjusted his glasses. "But I can only win in that category."

"I had enough of you!" Magnus roared as he landed on the ground. "You're making me mad."

"Then do something about it."

Magnus then performed a hand gesture. " _Terrain Effect: Chill Zone!_ "

Immediately the entire area changed yet again as everything froze over. Immediately Ruby and Vala began to shiver uncontrollably.

"I'm f-freezing," Vala shivered.

"I'm not just for cold," said Ruby shivering even harder than Vala.

"I've got a feeling that you miss just the gravity of the situation," said Magnus as he raised his hand.

Immediately both Ruby and Vala found themselves suiting up into the air and towards the stalactites that were frozen in ice above them. If they didn't stop they would be skewered by them.

"Oh no!" Ruby screamed.

Libra quickly acted. " _Gravity Change! Counterbalance!_ "

Her spell worked just in time as Ruby and Vala were inches away from being skewered by the ice covered stalactites.

"Ruby!" Leo yell from inside a block of ice.

"Chicken nuggets," Magnus growled.

"Get me down before I lose my cool!" Ruby screamed.

* * *

Meanwhile Merrill had been completely overwhelmed by the supply attack from Cosmos and was now completely buried in the plums.

"I hate plums," Merrill groaned.

Cosmos laughed. "At pain expression is simply precious, I'm be kind and give you a lovely demise my sweet."

Immediately bulbs launched from the ground.

"Let death gently law you into eternal slumber," she said as if she was reciting poetry.

Merrill blinked at her. "What? No, please!"

Immediately the bulbs let loose a gas which covered the entire area.

"Now close your eyes, this is a spell of death once the spores have put you to sleep the waking world is forever lost to you," said Cosmos.

Merrill felt herself getting weaker and barely able to keep our eyes open and soon they shut.

Cosmos smiled. "Sweet dreams darling. Savour your final nightmare."

* * *

Meanwhile at the Coliseum, Helga and Ingrid were smiling at their progress in the final game.

"Man, the First Master sure knows a strategy," said Helga.

"Yeah, taking first place is as easy as pie," said Ingrid.

"I must admit that his strategic thinking rivals that of Hiccup's," said Gobber.

"That's not surprising considering their related," said Mulch.

"I sense something," said Hiccup the First looking deeply troubled.

Stoick turned towards him. "What is it First Master? Trouble?"

"I'm not quite sure, but it's coming from deep beneath the city of Crocus. It's faint but I sent tremors and the clashing of magic power."

Stoick frowned not liking the sound of this. "Do you think it's the rescue team?"

"Most likely and they seem to be fighting separately."

* * *

Meanwhile deep beneath the city, Ruby was shivering uncontrollably. Libra had managed to lower both she and Vala down but suddenly she could do nothing about the cold.

"So cold," Ruby shivered.

Magnus laughed. "What's the matter? Those arms and legs going numb on you?"

"Don't worry, I know just what to do!" Leo yelled smashing through the ice containing him. He then pulled his shirt opened. "A little flesh on flesh contact will keep your limbs toasty."

"Go way!" Ruby yelled furiously.

"I wish I could help you Mistress, but I have run out of magic power," said Virgo apologetically.

"Thanks for the help anyway," said Ruby as Virgo vanished.

Vala was shivering uncontrollably. "My body is almost completely numb and I'm getting sleepy."

"We need to lift this spell before we're popsicles," said Ruby as she reached for Taurus' key. " _Open! Gate of the Golden Bull! Taurus!_ "

Taurus appear directly in front of them. "You need my assistance, Ruby."

"Take that guy down!" Ruby commanded.

"You got it," said Taurus as he raised his battle-axe. "Why don't you and your new friend cuddle for warmth while I send this fool out to pasture?"

"You've got some interesting spirits," Magnus noted. "Is it because you're so boring?"

Ruby immediately glared at him. "All right, that's it! Okay big guy, give this loudmouth the horns!"

"Yes, ma'am," said Taurus and charged towards Magnus.

"What just," said Magnus as he brushed his fingers in front of him.

Immediately the icy surface became even icier and Taurus hovers were not designed for ice. He immediately slipped causing his axe to be flung into the air which then landed on top of him.

Magnus merely smirked. "Running on ice is just asking for an accident."

Taurus then vanished much to Ruby's ire. "That was totally pathetic!"

"The jig is up, now be good little minnows and accept your punishment…" He then stopped. "Wait, weren't there more all of you before?"

"Heads up!" Leo's voice yelled.

Magnus looked up and saw that somehow Leo had snuck behind him and his bit was now glowing in a golden light. He struck Magnus with enough strength that sent him flying and Ruby and Vala made their move.

"Vala!" Ruby yelled.

Vala nodded. "Right. Now Libra use the ice chunks!"

"As you wish. Altering gravity around the enemy," said Libra as a skilled began to glow.

Immediately the ice chunks that will launch into the air thanks to Leo's attacks now changed direction and began to strike Magnus with increased speed. The ice completely covered him until he was a frozen ball of ice.

"I feel like a mackerel," he said from inside the ice.

"Way to go!" Stormfly cheered.

Immediately Magnus's spell began to fade away until they found themselves back in the corridor before everything went crazy.

"It back to normal," Vala smiled.

"I wonder if he thinks I'm boring after that," Ruby smirked.

Magnus may have been down, but he's not out. "Criminals, you all know when to quit do ya? Now I'm mad and believe you and me, this is one thing fishermen you don't want to get riled up."

"Uh, what your demand to begin with?" Ruby asked with a twinge of fear in her voice.

* * *

Meanwhile Princess Mala was still overlooking the Coliseum and the guards were discussing the current match.

" _Dragon Tail_ was in the lead."

"Yeah, but _Sabretooth_ still has the Twin Dragons out there so there's no telling what will happen."

"Don't forget the Viking Lord."

"Or that babe, Camicazi."

"It doesn't make sense though? Why the heck with _Dragon Tail_ was a prison break when all they had to do was win the tournament?"

"Who cares, lowlifes will do what lowlife please."

"What about the Captain?"

"No matter how you look at it, he's a traitor. Plain and simple."

Mala was saddened by that comment, but with her back towards the guards they didn't notice.

Then one of the guards approached. "Princess, I've been handed an update. The _Hungry Wolf Hunters_ are beginning Operation 1500 in the Palace of Perdition. The lawbreakers are resisting and combating ongoing at present. I'm told they've moved to 5 separate locations on the lower level."

"What about their telepathy? Another guard asked.

"Already taking care of, or telepathy from outside has been blocked."

"I know his Majesty is a fan of _Dragon Tail_ , but that doesn't mean they're above the law."

A guard then chuckled. "Meanwhile that same guild is about to win the tournament. It's unreal."

* * *

Meanwhile Magnus was looking at them with a fixed expression.

"Do you think I was born on the boat yesterday?" he sneered. "I know you're trying to buy time for your injured friend."

Leo had in fact need in order to carry Throk, who was still unconscious, to safety. "It was worth a shot at least."

"Not good," said Ruby.

Magnus then extended his hands. "You girls you have no idea who you're messing with and that is going to cost ya. _Execution: Torment Zone!_ "

Immediately crashing down onto the floor were the creepiest looking torture devices ever devised by mankind.

"What are these?" Ruby cried as she and Vala nearly got skewered by a bladed pendulum.

"Torture devices," said Vala.

Stormfly found herself trapped in a cage. "I'm trapped!"

Throk was wrapped up in chains and unable to move from his current position on the floor.

"Hang in there!" Leo yelled as he rushed towards him.

"Don't you move a muscle," Magnus warned as torture drills positioned themselves on top of Throk. He then glared down at them. "You're more trouble than a hole in a net. Stand down or I'll make the former Captain into Swiss cheese."

"What do we do?" Leo asked looking at Ruby and Vala.

"I don't know, do what he says," said Ruby.

Magnus sneered at them. "Ah, what's the matter? You ain't got any more magic critters to call up?"

"I guess he's got us on the ropes," Ruby frowned.

"Indeed, it is quite annoying," Vala agreed.

"So, let's change that," said Ruby as he pulled out Scorpio's key. " _Open! Gate of the Scorpion!_ "

Vala then pulled out Pisces key. " _Open! Gate of the Two Fish!"_

" _Scorpio!_ "

Scorpio then appeared out of thin air. "Wicked!"

"Come, _Pisces!_ " Vala commanded.

Two beams of light and shot behind her and soon they transformed into the two fish. Immediately the two of them charge straight down towards Magnus smashing through the stone boulder he was standing on. They then made a U-turn and flew down back towards him and he landed on the white fish.

"You ladies at the do better than that to take me down," said Magnus.

"Now Scorpio!" Ruby yelled.

" _Sand Buster!_ " Scorpio cried unleashing a tornado from his tail smashing through the cage containing Stormfly.

"Take it easy!" she yelled as he was blown away by the vortex.

"Way to go, nice work," Ruby smiled.

Scorpio however looked a bit gloomy. "Wicked," he said with not much enthusiasm. "I'll be just over here if you need me, yeah."

Ruby blinked.

"Ruby! We're a okay over here," said Leo, who had freed Throk from the chains and taking him to safety.

Ruby turned. "Huh? Oh, right! Thanks a lot!"

Magnus was still riding upon Pisces. "I'm still here and you're not going to shake me off!"

Ruby looked at Vala. "Ready?"

"Let's do it," she nodded. "Pisces!"

"Scorpio!"

Immediately Pisces began to circle around and Scorpio unleashed another sandstorm from his tail. Magnus soon found himself trapped in a vortex of sand.

"Now that dog gone hurt!" Magnus cried.

"You must strike quickly, I'll hold him," said Vala to Ruby.

Ruby then turned to Leo. "Leo! Give him everything you've got, but try not Pisces okay!"

Leo soon found himself covered in a golden glow. "That's a tall order, but the year I think I can without a real crowd pleaser." His lighting concentrated within his fist. "Here it goes! _Regulus Impact!_ "

He then fired a powerful beam of golden light from his fist which headed straight towards Magnus, who was still trapped within the vortex of sand which was being created by Pisces, who were spinning around him. The moment it may contact that was a bright light that shielded him from site.

"All right, right on target!" Ruby cheered.

"With a beautiful attack to boost," Vala smiled.

Leo frowned. "That is from my attack. It he's doing!"

Leo was right somehow Magnus had been able to create a blinding light that blocked his attack. It also left Pisces completely mobilised and he had a large smirk on his face.

" _Terrain Effect: Midnight Sun Zone!_ " he yelled looking down at them gleefully. I fought liklight with light, I bet you didn't see that coming."

Ruby stared open eyed. "Wait, you can do that?"

"If that's the case, then I'll use my own trump card," said Vala as he raised Pisces key.

* * *

Meanwhile Merrill was completely unconscious with most of the torso still trapped within the plums. She had been completely immobilised by the spores in the air and Cosmos was sitting down next to clasping the bottom of her chin.

"Having sweet dreams yet sweetie?" she asked. "You know, out of all my execution techniques, this is my favourite by far and you're my favourite victim. It's been a while since I've executed such a lovely lawbreaker like you."

* * *

Meanwhile at the Coliseum, Speedfist was still trying to make contact with Valka and the others with no success.

"Any luck?" Stoick asked. "Judging by your face, I'm guessing the answer would be no that right?"

"Sorry about this, Master," Speedfist said apologetically. "But I just don't understand what's wrong. Valka's team was just going to the Palace switch isn't far from here so communicating them by telepathy should be a breeze."

Stoick then looked at Hiccup the First. "This clashing magic power you sensed, is it possible that it's been the castle?"

"It is," he nodded. "So why can't we reach the team?"

"Maybe it's because of that _Eclipse_ thing," Speedfist offered. "It absorbs nearby magic power doesn't it?"

"No," said Wartihog. "If that was it he wouldn't sense them fighting down there. There must be another cause."

"Who are they going to fight that far down underground?" said Spitelout sceptically. "The Royal Knights?"

"Don't forget there is also that magic unit, council dogs," Gobber reminded.

Stoick shook head. "I can't imagine Valka's team having a hard time with them and it was the Council there would have been a huge uproar the moment they were spotted."

"Assuming they did rescue Ruby and Vala is only one possibility I can think of," said Wartihog gravely. "Though it's never been made public there have been rumours of an independent squad."

Speedfist immediately turned on him. "Hold on, you're talking about the executioners aren't you? You actually believe that?"

Wartihog shook his head. "No, but many legends are somewhere steep in fact."

"I don't know guys," Helga frowned. "After finding about that _Eclipse Project_ and all."

"Anything could be plausible, right?" Ingrid nodded in agreement.

"For real?" said Speedfist looking at them sceptically. "So all this weird telepathic interference could be coming from a group of psycho warriors?"

"It's a vexing situation," said Hiccup the First gravely. "But we can't afford to make any rash decisions at the moment."

Stoick nodded in agreement. "No, we can't. All we can do is wait and have faith."

Valka was still facing against Calder and managed to dodge every single attack. He then retrieved his scythes and looked directly at her.

"You're attack didn't even hit me once," she said.

"Search determined fortitude, you refuse to atone, you refuse punishment," he said narrowing his eyes. "Never before has there been such a lawbreaker."

"I'm sure I'm not the first," said Valka. "I'm warning you one last final time to step aside."

"Like your comrade you will learn that there is no deliverance," he said. "Surrender and join them in the afterlife."

Valka chuckled. "You honestly believe that my friends are dead, you'll find that anyone in _Dragon Tail_ are not so easily killed."

"A lonely Guild fighting would dare defy the will of the kingdom."

Valka smiled. "It wouldn't be the first time." She then charged towards him.

* * *

Meanwhile Ruby and Vala are having a tough time with Magnus, who was now swinging large bladed pendulums at them once again.

Vala quickly held out Pisces key. " _Pisces!_ "

Immediately the two fish turned to beams of light and launch into the air.

"The fish they vanished," Magnus gasped.

Ruby just stared. "What the heck? What happened to them?"

Immediately the lights faded and now standing in front of them was a woman and a dark skinned young man.

The was slim, average height possessed long, straight and glossy dark hair, reaching down to her middle back, which is gathered above her forehead in a prominent front bun, but is left to freely flow backwards on her shoulders in two strands. She possesses slanted dark eyes, each linked to the corresponding side of her face by a linear tattoo which forks in proximity to the eye, and two dark protrusions reminiscent of membranous fins sit at her head's sides. She had a curvaceous figure, with her ample breasts being hugged and partially exposed by a revealing top made of massive light scales, going from her waist to her neck while baring the central part of her torso, with shoulder pads extending to her shoulders. The woman's arms are covered by light-edged dark sleeves adorned by intricate, light decorative motifs; these very same motifs were present on her full-length, mildly loose matching pants, while her feet are covered by plain, dark open top shoes. Her forehead was adorned by a light, simple crown, bearing a massive light gem on the front.

The young man, had a muscular body and had spiky light hair, just a bit shorter than the woman's, with spikes jutting outwards even on top of his head, and a pair of short strands framing his forehead. He shares the woman's tattoos, fins and crown, but also sports an earring shaped like a shell on each ear, and a light necklace with a similarly shaped pendant hanging from it; he, too, wears an indument made of scales, this being a massive belt which extends downwards on his legs' sides to cover the lower part of his loose dark pants. A massive, dark ribbon was tied diagonally on the left part of his chest, going above his left shoulder in close proximity to his neck, around his wrists are massive dark bracelets with light edges, and yet another bracelet, adorned by a series of dark and light triangles, is found on the boy's left bicep. He also carried around a trident in his right hand, this having its upper, offensive edge shaped like the Celestial Spirit's symbol.

"This is the true form of Pisces, a mother and her son," said Vala.

"There can only be one reason we be summoned like this," said the son.

"Wiping out the enemy with style," said his mother.

Leo smiled. "For a girl that has a kid she never lost that body."

Ruby groaned.

"I'm counting on you," said Vala.

"Right, mama we're one it," said the son.

Magnus immediately swung a bladed tendering towards them.

"I'm not your mother, you know that!" Vala yelled indignantly.

The son's real mother then dealt a devastating water kick to Magnus pushing him back. The son then struck him with his trident sending him back even further.

"Amazing," said Ruby awe.

Magnus looked at the two of them finally getting worn out.

"Let's make quick work of him, okay," said the mother.

"Yes ma'am, gladly," said the son of a firm grip on his trident.

" _Terrain Effect: Hot Lava Zone!_ " Magnus cried and soon the area turned back into its molten form. Fortunately everybody were placed on the rocks floating above the lava.

"Be careful, mum," said the son.

"Spicy eel stew coming right up," said Magnus looking his lips.

Leo was holding on to Throk to prevent him from falling into lava again.

"Are you sure that you got him?" Vala asked.

"Careful," said Ruby cautiously.

"Don't worry, he's fine," Leo assured. "Just a little on the heavy side. Although, I wouldn't mind holding the two of you this close to my chest."

"Just get going," Ruby snapped.

Pisces then started to make their way towards Magnus yet again.

"Why don't you call things off for a little bit," said the mother.

"Beating the heat sound like a plan to me," said the son.

The two of them stood side-by-side and appearing in front of them was their symbol and then they unleashed water up on the area calling the lava down.

"You just put out my fire!" Magnus cried. "But how the heck did a little water do all that?"

"Our magic power is much stronger than yours," said the mother as she and her son landed on the cool lava surface.

"Totally, by a long shot," the son nodded.

Ruby and Vala were now pretty much drained of magic power and it would be able to last much longer.

"Oh man, this is really taking a lot of power out of me," Ruby winced.

"Let's give it one final push, that should do it," said Vala.

"Yeah," Ruby nodded pulling out Taurus' key. "It's time to take this fishing freak down! _Taurus!_ "

Taurus then appeared once again swinging his battle-axe. "One more time!" Yelled slamming it down on the ground.

This caused Magnus to be sent flying and then Pisces struck him with a double water attack.

Magnus picked himself now getting very annoyed. "I'm up to here with those critters!" He then extended his hand upwards. " _Terrain Effect: Whirlpool Zone!_ "

Immediately the entire cavern was covered with water which then began to form whirlpools.

"I'll flush you are out like chilli gumbo!" Magnus laughed.

Pisces and Taurus was caught in the current and unable to break free.

"I was meant by dry land, I can't stay here," said Taurus as he vanished.

"The current is too strong," said the son.

"Stay strong, fight it!" said the mother.

Immediately the two of them roared in pain and seconds later they reverted back to their fish form.

Vala just stared. "How could you possibly know that Pisces had a weakness to water weakness?"

Ruby just stared at her dumbfounded. "That doesn't make any sense!"

Leo and Throk were pressing themselves against the edge of the wall so they wouldn't fall in.

"Ruby! Are you okay down there?" Leo called.

"I think so," said Ruby. She then turned to Magnus. "I don't know what you're up to, I didn't take any damage and the water is too shallow to drowning. Are you just trying to soak us?"

"Take a gander at them whirlpools, if you let them suck you in you'll be sent to another place entirely," Magnus smirked.

Ruby then saw statue flowing into the centre of the whirlpool and then it vanished into thin air.

"What kind of place are we talking about?" Ruby stared.

"Uh…"

Ruby just stared at him. "You mean you don't even know what your attack does!"

Magnus merely laughed. "This is it, criminals. You will be sleeping with the fishes until the cows come home."

Ruby then noticed that one of her keys was glowing. "What the?" She then realised something. "Oh yeah, water! That all I need!" Ruby then pulled out Aquarius is key. " _Open! Gate of the Water Bearer!_ "

Immediately a guide of water erupted from the water and Magnus stared at something emerged from it.

" _Aquarius!_ " Ruby cried.

The water separated and Aquarius floated there, her face full of rage.


	58. Our Place

Adelaide was in the midst of being pummelled by Alfhild, who was unleashing blasts of lightning from her yellow paper.

"Oh dear," said Alfhild with a fiendish smile on her face. "It seems the tales I've heard about you were nothing more than that. Adelaide the Demon, just a silly fantasy, but I can still have fun. Executing criminals never fails to bring a smile to my face."

Adelaide then charged towards the just at the same time she unleashed purple paper. " _Paper Blizzard: Purple Dance!_ "

Suddenly the purple paper began to attach themselves to Adelaide and she found herself unable to move.

"I'm sure you remember what these papers can do."

Adelaide found it impossible to move. "Well, if you're talking about making it hard for me to move I remember."

"Good, but we can still have so much fun together," said Alfhild as she unleashed her red paper. " _Paper Blizzard: Red Dance!_ "

The paper she unleashed then began to take the form of a fiery inferno covering Adelaide in flames.

"I forgot she can use _Fire Magic_ ," Adelaide winced.

Alfhild smiled. "Now there's the look I wanted to see. That beautiful face of yours is even lovelier with that expression. I can see all the pain and fear you're feeling inside, it sends so many shivers down my spine." She then gave a girly laugh and once the flames die down she held out her white paper. "I suppose it's time to call you down a bit. _Paper Blizzard: White Dance!_ "

Alfhild then unleashed a white paper which then unleashed a blizzard chill around Adelaide.

"My body feels as if it's ice," Adelaide winced.

"Oh, this is unbelievably satisfying, but I want more," said Alfhild as he held out yellow paper this time. "Let's liven things up. _Paper Blizzard: Yellow Dance!_ " She unleashed a yellow paper which then sent lightning bolts directly at Adelaide. "Yellow paper holds the spirit of lightning."

Surprisingly Adelaide was withstanding the strike. "You may use lightning, but this is nothing compared to what Alvin can do with it."

Alfhild smiled as she held a green paper. "So you want more pain? Then perhaps I can give you a taste of what through agony feels like. _Paper Blizzard: Green Dance!_ "

She then unleashed green paper which then exploded unleashing a burst of gas around Adelaide. She soon found it very hard to breathe and was choking upon the gas.

"What is this," Adelaide choked.

Alfhild laughed. "It's an entirely new level of pain, these papers hold the spirit of poison. It should feel like a million burning needles are racing through your bloodstream."

"How do you get so sick to get enjoyment out of this?" Adelaide spat as she covered her mouth.

"What a silly question," said Alfhild. "Of course I enjoy bringing criminals to justice. Besides, you chose your fate when you broke the law of the kingdom, is quite an intense pain isn't it? But still you seem to be withstanding it, I suppose I was a bit too stingy with the poison."

She then simply blew up a poison cloud. " _Green Dance Level Two!_ "

Immediately the poison intensified and Adelaide hand went to her throat as he began to choke upon the poison.

Alfhild smiled at the site. "Ah, that's more like it. So are you prepared to die?"

"This is wrong," said Adelaide weakly. "Magic shouldn't be used to kill people. Sometimes you have to go to go to extremes to protect others." She then removed her hand, throat and looked completely unfazed by the poison. "If you have the power, you must use it to do what has to be done."

"Nothing but complete and utter nonsense," Alfhild dismissed. "It appears the poison has made you delirious."

* * *

Meanwhile Calder had swung his scythes at Valka sending her backwards, but he quickly landed on her feet and took in a deep breath.

" _Sky Dragon's Roar!_ " she yelled unleashing her dragon breath attack.

However, Calder merely sliced through the wind with the scythe he was holding in his left hand.

"What the?" Valka stared. "What happened to my wind?"

"Neutralised," said Calder simply. "My right scythes reaps criminals heads and my left scythes reaps their magic. Unleash all the wind you wish the result will be the same, just a cool breeze and the sound of your life escaping."

"You certainly love to talk, don't you," said Valka standing up straight. She then began to spin her staff around. "So, magic does not work on you then I'll just have to simply fight you without it."

She then charged straight at him spinning her staff around that he did.

* * *

Meanwhile Toothless and the other battle form Exceeds were having difficulties with Ake. Their opponent had just unleashed a burst of acid across the ground which send them flying into the air and they collide with the stone walls.

"You guys are pretty tough, I didn't think skinning pussycats was going to be so much fun," Ake smiled.

"Where no pussycats, we're Exceeds," said Skullcrusher defiantly.

"Yeah, when was the last time you saw cats able to talk and fly and change form?" Toothless smiled as Cloudjumper helped him up.

"I don't care what you are, but it seems as if you had some sort of military training," Ake noted.

"As a matter of fact me and Skullcrusher have had military training," said Cloudjumper. "And we passed everything we have learned onto Toothless."

"Yes that's what makes you so hardheaded, but I can watch all runaway with a little splash of my special blend," Ake smiled at his fist began to glow once again.

"Never!" they yelled as they charged at him once again.

Ake then slammed his hand to the ground liquefying the ground beneath them and that's when they noticed something critical when they stepped into it. However it was too late to react as they were pushed back by another surge of acid.

"You sure are nervous little pussycats, aren't you now?" said Ake as they crashed to the ground. "Now ain't that something, I thought my magic as he could eat through anything." The three of them and got back onto their feet much to the amusement of Ake. "Guess not, because there you are back on your feet again. I sure do love me a challenge."

"All your talk just let us know how weak you are," said Skullcrusher as he leaned upon his _Musica Sword_.

"Oh yeah," said Ake sceptically.

"It's obvious," said Cloudjumper joining in. "A fighter that bragged on and on about his skills when he should be showing them off is simply covering for is insecurity."

"Yeah, even Snotlout knows better than that and he's the most arrogant guy in our Guild," said Toothless.

Ake narrowed his eyes at them. "Is that why you keep flapping your gums, kitty cats?"

"I'll be willing to bet that the only thing you can dissolve are those without a mind of their own," said Skullcrusher. "That you can only kill what is weaker then you, a true warrior doesn't work that way that is why we won't lose."

"Oh," said Ake as he pulled out his bottle and began to drink the liquid inside. "That's a nice little speech, but it ain't going to help you. In fact you just make things worse, I've done playing around with you three! It killing time!"

* * *

Meanwhile Magnus was stared and Aquarius.

"Boy, Howdy. That is one funky looking catch," he said.

"Come on Aquarius, take this guy out for me!" Ruby yelled. Aquarius just gave her an ugly look. "Hey, where is this attitude coming from? I thought we were past all that!"

"Well, we're not," said Aquarius plainly. "You know I'm not feeling it today see you later."

Ruby then began to panic. "No, please don't go! So, uh, what's the matter? Are you and Scorpio having some issues?"

Aquarius instantly turned on her and gave her the ugliest look imaginable. "Say what?!" She immediately grabbed Ruby shirt and pulled her towards her. "Do you know something that I don't, because if I find out that you're keeping secrets you won't live to regret it bimbo!"

"No, I promise," said Ruby now completely terrified. "It just seems that he was off when I summoned him earlier. He is normally so cool and stuff, but he won't even look at me."

That made things worse with Aquarius. "Does he normally make eyes at you? Is there something going on behind my back?"

Ruby began to shake uncontrollably. "No, no, there's absolutely nothing going on. I actually like living too much to piss you off."

Magnus just stared at them blankly. "Quit jaw boning, because we've got some executing to do! You hear me!"

He then extended his hand forward immediately water shot out from and began to twist around the world headed straight towards them. However, Aquarius merely raised her urn and water just entered into it.

"I don't like being interrupted, you hear me?" she glared at him.

"Dog gone!" Magnus yelled in frustration. "That whirlpool was a real doozy and you just sucked the damn thing up!"

Aquarius ignored him and turned her attention onto Ruby, calming down slightly. "If you want to know the truth, apparently Scorpio went on a date with some other girl."

Ruby stared at her. "What? Oh no, he didn't?"

"Apparently somebody even saw them."

Ruby blinked. " _Apparently_ , huh?"

"Taurus said he thought he heard Crux mumbling about Nicola or somebody seeing him out somewhere, he said he was slinking around with some cheap losing the mortal world."

"Have you tried just asking Scorpio all about it?"

Aquarius blushed slightly. "It's not that easy, when I talk to him I start to get all giddy and stuff so I really just don't see that happening."

"Well, do you want me to talk to him?" Ruby asked with a slight smirk.

Unfortunately, Aquarius caught this and her anger then flared yet again. "If you think this is some kind of joke you're dead wrong! You daresay one word to him about this and I'm going to make you wish that you were never born!"

"Okay," said Ruby in a small voice. "Mums the word."

"This is certainly more entertaining than I expected," said Stormfly as she flew over to join Leo and Throk.

Magnus looked a bit sweaty. "Messing with the ladies love like is like swimming with sharks, you're going to get bit." Then a thought entered his mind. "Hang on, that reminds me. So this here's water is what is what led her land this crabby fish lady, huh? Then that means, if there were no cold water around then she will be around neither."

Stormfly could tell that Magnus was thinking of something. "Ruby, watch out!" she cried and Ruby turned towards her. "I think he's figured out his plan of attack!"

" _Terrain Effect: Boiling Water Zone!_ " Magnus yelled extending his hand into the air.

Immediately the whirlpool was dispelled in the water began to bubble.

"Hey, this what is really getting hot all of a sudden," Ruby noted.

"It's steaming," Stormfly gasped.

The water then began to burn Ruby. "Ow!" She cried as she lifted the world part of her body out of the water. "Hot! Hot!"

Magnus then laughed. "That hot waters got my little catcher jumping! Things are really going to get heated up now, I've just about ready to reel you in!"

"Yeah, this is really going to be really bad," Ruby groaned.

* * *

Meanwhile, Cosmos was now humming a melody.

" _Beautiful sleep, full of beautiful nightmares. La, la, la!_ " she sang. " _So much blood to fill the flowers!_ "

"Is that a song? Merrill's voice asked.

"Yeah, I wrote it all by myself," Cosmos smiled looking a bit dizzy. She then realised who spoke and then saw Merrill was now free from the pile plums and looked completely unfazed by the spores and she was glowing. "Wait, how did you recover from that?"

" _Shining light, cleanse me of my ailment_ ," Merrill chanted. She then stood up straight and looked directly at Cosmos. " _Raise._ "

Cosoms stared at her. "What? Impossible!"

"Your static ailment spells will never be able to work on me," said Merrill and she then took on a fighting stance. "Because all my friends are counting on me to support them." Then suddenly water began to exit from her hands causing the spores to be washed away. "But still sometimes supporting isn't enough."

"What's happening?" Cosmos stared at the vortex began to surround Merrill washing away all the flowers in the area. "This water is washing away my beautiful flowers."

"When I fight, I become a _Sea Dragon Slayer_ ," said Merrill with a determined look upon her face.

"No! How revolting!" Cosmos cried as flytrap began to form behind her.

Then immediately the flytrap fired rock hard seeds at Merrill. She then began running around to prevent her being pummelled by them, but that only made Cosmos even angrier.

"Running away is a beautiful and playing dirty tricks on me is disgusting," she snarled. "I thought you had true beauty underneath all your sins, but there is nothing but ugliness."

Merrill stopped and blinked. "I haven't done anything?"

Cosmos didn't appear to have heard her. "I can never forgive you. I can never love you."

Merrill just stared at her. "Who said anything about love?"

"I will reduce your body to ashes scattering in the wind! _Spore Bomb!_ "

Immediately the spores combined together and began launch themselves at Merrill. She quickly jumped into the air and unleashed a stream of water to deflect them, but there was just too many and they began to pummel her.

"When this dance is over you will be just a memory with not even bones to bury you," Cosmos smiled.

* * *

Meanwhile Valka and Calder had just collided with one another and the collision caused a small explosion. The two of them skidded backwards and continue to face at one another with a determined look on their faces.

"You're only postponing the inevitable," said Calder. "Your _Wind Magic_ is useless and your attacks have not even come close to me."

"I do not care how long it takes to land a blow, I will defeat you," said Valka pointing her staff at him.

"For your hubris and your crimes you will pay with your head."

Valka looked at him with a stern face. "This is not the first time I have fought without magic so I am not going to lose to you. I have a family waiting for me back home and I plan on seeing them again once this is over."

"You Guild Vikings are ridiculous," Calder spat he then swung his scythe at her, but she quickly jumped out of the way. "I won't deny that you're strong, but you will still fall before me like all the other criminals. And like them you will be, nameless corpse."

Valka landed on the ground and spun her staff around. "I don't think so. Give me your best shot, because you need it if you wish to take me down."

* * *

Meanwhile in the Coliseum, Brila and Phlegma had just left to get some food and were now making their way back to the stands.

"I wish we can help Valka and them, but Master told us we should leave the Coliseum," said Brila.

Phlegma nodded. "Well, he's right about that. We don't want to attract unwanted attention. If someone gets suspicious it could put Ruby's rescue mission in trouble."

Then they saw Wartihog emerging from the side passages holding some food in his hand. "Oh yeah," he said when he noticed them. "You ladies ran off to grab a snack?"

"Yeah, and walk off some nerves too," Brila nodded.

Wartihog could sympathise. "Tell me about it I'm worried about Valka and Ruby and the Games are making me even more stressed out."

"Where did Speedfist go?" Phlegma asked. "I haven't seen him in a little while."

"Something was getting in the way of his telepathy so he was going to try and get on higher ground to see if that helps," Wartihog explained.

"I'd love to get out of here, but we can't," Brila sighed. "I feel so helpless just waiting."

"It'll work out, I've known Valka for very long time and I'm willing to bet that she is on her way back with Ruby," Phlegma assured.

"And the match seemed to be going our way exactly how Master Hiccup said that it would," Wartihog added.

"But there are still a lot of tough ones left to beat," Brila reminded.

"Just have faith in his planning and will win the games and have everybody back to celebrate," said Phlegma.

"I'm going!" Snotlout's voice yelled.

They turned round the corner and saw Snotlout arguing with Fishlegs.

Fishlegs looking relieved upon seeing them. "Can you help me talk some sense into him?"

"I'm making perfect sense!" Snotlout snapped.

"What's the matter?" Phelgma sighed.

Snotlout turned on her. "Adelaide went with the team that went after Ruby, we should have heard something from them by now!"

Fishlegs rubbed his forehead. "And Snotlout here came up with the idea that we should all go off in storm the Royal Palace so we can go and help them fight."

"Not exactly the best idea," said Wartihog.

"They should took me with them!" Snotlout yelled.

"We all want to help them, but we just have to give it some time for the plan to work," Fishlegs groaned.

"We've got no other choice," said Wartihog.

"Besides, Valka is with them and she'll make sure they get home safe," said Brila.

"You should have more faith in your aunt," said Phelgma.

"Just try and relax, man," said Wartihog as he ate one of his chicken nuggets. "Valka, is an S Class Viking that went through terrifying ordeals that we can't even imagine. Adelaide has her Demon Forms, and Merrill is a Dragon Slayer too. We'd just get in their way."

"You're absolutely right," Phelgma agreed. "We should focus our energy on our team spirit and here for our guys in the match."

Snotlout folded his arms. "Fine. Then our guy and found some sense into that old man, Darton."

Fishlegs facepalmed himself. "Aren't you listening? You're going with us!"

"We should probably get back to our seats," said Brila. "Somebody could be watching us right now."

Wartihog nodded. "You're right, come on let's get moving."

Brila had been right someone had been watching that somebody was a royal guard and he watched as they walked away.

"Yeah, okay, but I still don't like this," Snotlout grumbled.

"We all don't like it, but there's nothing we can do," said Fishlegs. "Your sister can handle it. Personally I feel sorry for the poor soul that tries to stop her."

* * *

That poor unfortunate soul was Alfhild, who can understand how Adelaide was still standing despite all the poison she was unleashing across the area.

"Impossible, you should be so full of poison by now that your body should feel as if it's burning from the inside out!" she stared horrified as Adelaide approached. "You should be on your knees screaming in pain and begging me to put you out of your misery! How in the name of Thor are you still standing up?"

Adelaide then stopped in her tracks. "That easy. There's so many things that you don't know about the," she said as her body began to glow a fiendish purple. "When I know I'm being watched, or anywhere around people really, I tend to stay a little guarded. I try not to go all-out strength wise, because I don't want to scare anybody."

Alfhild backed away slowly. "What?"

She then watched as Adelaide slowly transformed into her Wraith Demon form. "It's funny, like a walking contradiction I guess, but it's just the way I am. Always have been, but whenever it's just me I can go full throttle one hundred percent power no problem at all."

"What exactly are you trying to say?"Alfhild stared in horror and then saw that the poison in the air was being absorbed into her. "Unbelievable, is she really inhaling it?"

She was in the poison seemed to have no effect upon her. "Demons like me love poison. It is actually one of my favourite things."

Alfhild regained her composure. "That disgusting _Takeover Spell_ ," she said not looking impressed. "But I suppose it's missing for filthy criminal like you." She then unleashed a purple paper upon her. "It's over, because I can still leave you paralysed!"

However before the papers attach themselves to Adelaide, she quickly vanished and reappeared behind Alfhild. She then swung a punch directly at, but he quickly created a barrier with grey paper.

"The grey paper holds the spirit of protection," she said.

However it was not strong enough for Adelaide to break right through it and she was sent flying across the area.

"You may be an executioner, but how much of a fighter are you when your victim can fight back?" Adelaide asked.

Alfhild quickly unleashed the larger blue paper which took the form of a sailing boat. She then jumped upon in began to fly away from Adelaide.

"The blue papers holds the spirit of divine winds," she said as he flew away.

"Oh, the divine running away from the demonic?" said Adelaide curtly. Then suddenly she grew a pair of wings. "Not this time!"

She then took off into the air much to the surprise of Alfhild. "She can fly?

"Ask you once again," she said as she unleashed a burst of dark magic. The attack was so powerful that it destroyed her sailing boat and she collided with the rocks. She looked up to find Adelaide floating above her and saw that she was preparing to strike again. "Can you tell me when my friends went or is this about to get ugly?"

She then unleashed a blast of dark magic across the area leaving Alfhild completely winded, but she was still able to fight. "I don't have to tell you anything that I don't want to!"

"How far you willing to go to keep it from me?" Adelaide asked as she raised her fists. "Because I'm ready to fight you without holding anything back! So you better give me the answer that I'm looking for!"

"You're an unclean monster!" Alfhild yelled defiantly as she unleashed a volley of paper blades.

"I'm aa demon!" she roared knocking the blades aside with just a flick of her hand causing explosions to appear behind her.

Then suddenly black paper began to cover her from head to foot until she was completely sealed.

"The black papers holds the spirit of cleansing," said Alfhild. "I can't defeat the demon, I just have the purge your darkness."

However the seal that surrounded Adelaide exploded and Adelaide herself just floated there with a hand extended.

"My darkness is a plane that will never go out," she said and vanished.

"She's gone," Alfhild stared.

Adelaide then appeared right behind and slammed a powerful kick into her. However she quickly transformed herself into indigo paper and then once again she found herself sealed in the paper.

"The indigo papers holds the spirit love," Alfhild smiled believing that she had finally beaten. "Meaning that they will conjure up any pain you grieved over love and your heart will literally be broken."

Memories flashed in front of Adelaide and her brother lost control nearly killed their father. Snotlout raised his monstrous fist preparing to finish her off.

"Now you will be trapped in your misery," said Alfhild. "Forced to relive the trauma and go through the pain over and over again, an endless nightmare. The grief will keep on intensifying until you lose your mind."

Alfhild stopped when she saw the papers ceiling Adelaide exploded and saw her walking out of the smoke. "I got over that pain a long time ago." She then began to remember how Hiccup saved despite all the grief she had given him. "I know I was one of the lucky ones, but I'm not alone. Everyone experiences profound pain in some point in their life, but they can also heal. Let the past fade into their memory, from me magic gives me the strength I need to grow from it."

Alfhild was now even more furious. "Stop all this babbling! I will be lectured by a criminal like—" She then stopped talking the moment Adelaide grabbed her face and lifted her into the air and pinned her to the stone boulder.

"I learned how to use my powers to protect the people I care about," said Adelaide giving her an ugly expression. Alfhild was now completely terrified. "Let me show you."

* * *

Meanwhile Ruby was panicking as Magnus had turned the water into boiling hot spring.

"This water is boiling!" Ruby cried. "That means Aquarius can't use it to attack! What are we going to do?"

"Yeah, she's right on the money," Magnus smirked. "So why don't you get out of here you rotten fish. You are all used up and I guarantee that if I was your boyfriend I would prefer you back too!"

Ruby glared at him. "What a low blow!"

Aquarius was now mad. "What?"

"He shouldn't have said that," said Leo, who was now terrified.

"Got that right," Stormfly agreed.

Aquarius narrowed her eyes at Magnus. "Water temperature doesn't make a bit of difference to me! This is even summoned me in the middle of her bath before," she said gesturing to Ruby.

Ruby then remember that horrible experience. "Oh yeah, that was not such a good time, kinda blocked it out."

Magnus on the other hand realised that he was now in deep trouble. "I wish all that was going to work! What a load of choke!"

"Now let's teach this jerk a lesson!" Ruby cried.

"Why don't we just kill him," said Aquarius looking at him with the most terrifying death glare imaginable.

* * *

The combat Exceeds were being pushed away as Ake unleashed a barrage of acid at them.

"You got popped," Ake smirked. "There's never been a criminal that could get away from my multi-angle acid technique so say your prayers."

"We can't let this heck get the best of us," said Toothless as he got to his feet.

"I refused to give in," said Cloudjumper defiantly.

"We have to dig in deep, because there's no way we can stay in combat form for much longer," said Skullcrusher.

"Then let's take him down once and for all," said Toothless. "Hiccup never gave up when he faced against the powerful current and neither shall I!"

"Same goes for me," Cloudjumper nodded. "Valka show me a world that I could never imagine and I am not going to let her down."

Skullcrusher then gripped his _Musica Sword_ firmly in hand. "My mind and body are stronger than steel, and the same could be said to my comrade. Your acid never eat that away!"

Ake then extended his hand forward and fired a massive volley of acid straight at them. However, Skullcrusher swung his _Musica Sword_ with all his might and dispelling the acid and Toothless and Cloudjumper charged towards him with all speed.

"Oh no," Ake gasped. "The cat with the sword cut the acid!"

* * *

Merrill finally was able to blow away Cosmos Spore Bombs.

"No, you blew away all my lovely Spore Bombs," Cosmos stared horrified as Merrill landed on the ground. She then rose from the ground her thorn covered vines. "But still I have plenty of many beautiful deadly plants at my disposal."

"What now?" said Merrill as she raised her hands. "I've got to think, even though I don't understand her magic I can't lose. What would Hiccup do to win?" An idea then popped into her head. "Yeah, definitely. That is exactly what he would do."

* * *

Valka meanwhile had just dealt a devastating kick to Calder pushing him back.

"Damn you," said Calder, who felt himself getting weaker. "I don't understand how can you even touch me? Are you some kind of monster?"

"I am no monster, but I am a _Sky Dragon Slayer_ ," said Valka giving him a firmed expression.

Calder then charged and swung the scythe in his left hand, but she merely somersaulted over him. Once she was behind him she doesn't devastating kick to his back and ducked just as he swung back with the scythe in his left hand. She then extended a hand forward catching the scythe in his right hand as he brought it down and one she tightened her grip it began to crack.

"No!" Calder stared horrified.

"Next time don't be so quick to judge your accused," said Valka as she began to overpower him.

Calder just stared at her in shock. ' _Where is all her strength coming from? How can she still have so much magic power?_ '

Valka then slammed a fist across his face. "Did you truly believed that he could take my magic away? Think again!" Valka yelled as he punched him with a fist of wind sending him flying across the wall and collided with the ceiling.

He then fell to the ground and looked up directly at her unable to comprehend what had just happened. "How dare you, with that you truly made yourself an enemy of the kingdom."

Valka began to approach him with a firmed expression. "I don't really care what side of the kingdom I am on, but you should be more concerned for yourself. Because it's an even bigger mistake making yourself an enemy of the _Dragon Tail_ Guild."

Elsewhere Ruby and Aquarius washed away Magnus.

Wind began to form around Valka's hand as she looked at Calder straight in the eye. "And everybody in!"

Toothless and Cloudjumper struck Ake with a double high-speed this attack sending the large man flying.

Valka then ran towards him raising her fist. "We are not afraid of any kingdom that tries to bring us down!"

Merrill was holding a bow of water as he fired a water arrow directly at Cosmos.

" _Dragon Slayer Secret Art! Deep Sea: Ocean Bow!_ " she yelled.

Cosmos screened that he was sent flying the moment the water arrow struck her in the chest. At the same time Adelaide doesn't devastating kick to Alfhild.

Valka then jumped into the air and brought her fist down upon Calder. "We will never give up a fight!"

She punched Calder so hard that he went straight through the wall and then he collided with his other teammates. Apparently the other members of _Dragon Tail_ struck them so hard that they too went through the wall at exactly the same time.

The members of _Dragon Tail_ then went through the holes in the wall and met up with one another and stared at everyone with relief.

"Nice," said Skullcrusher as he and the others had reverted back to the normal form.

"Oh hi," said Adelaide.

"Whoa, you're all here," Merrill smiled.

"Talk about perfect timing," said Ruby.

"I'm glad to see that you're all safe," said Valka.

"What a relief," Merrill sighed.

"By the skin of our teeth and work be even better once we find out a way to get out of this dungeon," said Ruby.

The only one of the executioners still unconscious was Calder and he couldn't believe his eyes.

"We lost, but how?" he said.

Valka then looked over him and narrowed her eyes. "Okay young man, I suggest that you tell us where the entrance is or else you're getting executed."

"She's scaring," said Ruby fearfully.

Calder couldn't help but agree upon seeing that fearful expression on Valka's face.


	59. The Kingdom 'til Tomorrow

Ilos was lying down in the ground unable to move and she tried to remember what had happened.

' _What happened? Where am I?_ ' he asked himself puzzlingly. ' _It does if I blocked it out from my memory_.' Then his memories of Ragnar beating him came back. ' _Ah, yes there it is. This is the Royal library in Crocus and today is the final day of the Grand Magic Games, but this place filled with the wisdom of ages is where they ended for me._ ' A small smile appeared on his face. ' _For this is where I was defeated by the Viking from_ Dragon Tail.'

Meanwhile the other competitors there was still left in the games were running all different directions.

"The underdogs in _Dragon Tail_ have made a thrilling rally and are now leading the pack with an impressive 50 points," said Agnar.

"And all five members of their team are still in play," Johann added.

"But nipping at their heels are both _Sabretooth_ and _Thor Hammer_ who each have 49 points."

"With 43 points _Valkyrie's Sword_ needs to kick it into high gear if they want to catch up."

"Things are looking a bit grim, ladies," said Athessa.

"We're still in this, but it's going to be real tough," said Babs.

"Ah, quit your crying you to we still have Camicazi on the field and Nessia is one Kitty herself," Kelali pointed out.

"The only thing we can do now girls did cheer for them," said Bertha smiling down at them. "Whatever happens I know that our girls will do their best."

"Yeah, I guess," Babs sighed, not feeling convinced. "But I still got something kinda stuck in my craw."

"What's bothering you?" Athessa asked.

"Well I've been watching the screen up there and they haven't shown Nessia in a long time."

Athessa looked over the screens. "Is that so?"

"You worry too much," said Kelali dismissively. "I bet she's just found a sweet hiding spot and she's waiting for the perfect time to pounce."

"Well, I hope she acts soon, because the other competitors that are still in play are extremely strong," said Bertha folding her arms.

"I just have a gut feeling that she is in some kind of trouble," Babs frowned.

* * *

Meanwhile in the Palace of Perdition, Valka and the others were following the direction she managed to get out of Calder towards the exit. However, they still couldn't figure head in nought tales about this place.

"No matter where we go looked exactly the same," Ruby groaned. "It's impossible to know you're going the right way or not."

"Well, this is just the way were going right now," said Merrill.

"I'm pretty sure this is gonna lead us out of here," said Valka confidently. "I can definitely sense a breeze."

Adelaide looked at Leo, who was carrying Throk. "Do you know Leo? How did you get down here anyway?"

"I just jumped," he said simply.

Merrill frowned. "But you didn't pay attention to how you got here?"

"I live by the leap before you look philosophy."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Valka sighed.

"What about Captain Throk?" Vala asked with a concerned look. "Do you think he'll be okay?"

Leo looked at him. "He's doing great considering what he just went through."

"After jumping into the lava like that I'm surprised he's still alive," said Stormfly honestly. "It is extraordinary, did he have helped from Horologium?"

Ruby shook her head. "No, he jumped in before anyone had the chance to help."

"What an amazing warrior and so noble," said Skullcrusher impressively.

"Check out his necklace," said Leo looking down at the amulet he was wearing. It bore some kind of symbol of a dragon. "That's no ordinary piece of jewellery, the mark of the Great Protector, is a strong protection charm."

Valka recognise the Dragon on the medallion. "The dragon engraved upon that mark is that of the Eruptodon. It is a very powerful Lava Dragon, capable of starting and quelling volcanoes."

"Dragons again?" Merrill blinked.

"Yeah, we found that the dragon graveyard at the bottom of the Coliseum," Ruby nodded.

Vala dubbed her chin. "It's strange Princess Mala also wears one of those medallions."

"And we need to talk to her about this _Eclipse Project_ , to decide whether or not it is right," said Stormfly.

"But she's the one who threw us down here why would we help?" Toothless frowned.

"That may be true, but let's not lose focus," said Leo. "First and foremost we need to get out of here and let the rest of the Guild know we're safe."

Ruby nodded. "You're right."

"We still may have a ways to go," said Cloudjumper.

"Yeah, there's no telling how deep this cave is," Adelaide nodded.

"You could probably fit an entire city in here?" said Leo looking around.

"Tell me about it," said Ruby.

Valka then stood up straight. "I smell something."

"That probably means we're almost to the exit," Merrill assumed.

"Perhaps the head of the execution squad was telling the truth after all," said Vala.

"Valka can be very persuasive," Cloudjumper smiled.

"You're telling me, the guy was practically wetting himself," said Toothless.

"Hey, look over there!" Skullcrusher pointed.

Everyone turned and smiled with relief. For right in front of them was a huge door that had to be a good 50 feet tall.

"It's a door," said Valka.

"Finally," said Toothless.

"That could be a way out," said Ruby as he approached the door.

Skullcrusher look up at the humongous door. "It's huge."

"It looks really hard open," Merrill noted.

Vala nodded. "Yes, it does."

Then suddenly the door began to open suddenly much to the surprise of everyone.

"What the?" Ruby gasped.

"The doors open," Toothless stared.

A bright light with emerging through the door as it open slowly.

"But how?" said Stormfly stunned.

"It is a trap?" Merrill asked.

That's when they saw that someone with emerging from the door, a cloaked figure and everyone just stared at them completely speechless for they had no idea if this cloaked figure was friend or foe.

Valka approached them. "We appreciate you opening the door, but who are you?"

* * *

Meanwhile at the palace, a guy that just rushed into the chambers of the Princess with a fearful expression upon his face.

"Princess! I bring terrible news!" he cried.

One of the guards approached him. "Calm down and tell us what it is."

The guard began to pant as he caught his breath. "Okay, we haven't received any updates from the Palace of Perdition so we send a squad to investigate. They report that the _Hungry Wolf Hunters_ have been wiped out."

"What?"

"Impossible!"

"By that tiny group of Vikings?"

"Any word on the criminals?"

The guard looked at them gravely. "It looks as if they were able to escape."

"Doesn't make sense."

While the guard were panicking, Mala was smiling broadly. ' _I knew it._ '

"I wouldn't celebrate just yet Princess," said a voice. Entering into the chambers was Darton and he was looking at the Princess with a fixed expression. "Your plan is clear as day."

Mala quickly took on him. "Darton? I thought you accompany my father to the Coliseum?"

"I couldn't shake my suspicions," he explained. "So I decided to return and now they have been confirmed."

Mala glared at him. "I won't stand for this abuse! Not from you!" She then looked at him fiercely. "After all, you're the one who sent Captain Throk to the Palace of Perdition without a trial!"

It was Darton's turned and narrowed his eyes at her. "Which is precisely why you decided to use the _Dragon Tail_ Guild in order to rescue him correct?" The guard stared at one another and then to the Princess and Darton continued. "The truth of the matter is you're the one who's really in charge of the _Eclipse Project_." He then made his way over towards the window. "Throk was willing to play the role of villain to deflect suspicion. He wanted to conceal the fact that you were running the show." He then turned his eyes upon her. "Please tell me if I am wrong, Princess?"

Mala sighed, but she could see there was no point of keeping up façade. "No, you saw right through our charade, impressive."

"I implore you do not understand what is at risk here!" Darton pleaded. "That devices dangerous, changing history could spell our doom!"

Both the Princess and the Minister looked at one another in silence and then Mala turn towards the Coliseum.

"Perhaps, but it may be our only salvation," she said.

Darton frowned at her. "'Maybe?'"

Mala closed her eyes. "Listen, I swore that I would tell no one won, but am afraid I have no other option. There is another plan in the works, another way the device can be used. The _Eclipse Two_."

Darton then sat up straight. "Two?"

"It is the true purpose of the Eclipse and should this plan fail tomorrow our kingdom shall be wiped off the map."

* * *

Meanwhile the audience within the Coliseum were at the very edge of their seats.

"With all five members still in the game, Team Dragon Tail is looking like an unstoppable force," said Agnar.

Rubbella then looked at Hiccup the First. "So Master Hiccup what is next in your plan?"

"Indeed, Hiccup is hanging back the others seem to be on the move," Fenris noted.

"Don't worry, everything is falling into place," said Hiccup the First confidently.

Heather was walking down the street and then came to a sudden stop. ' _I've hit my mark precisely where I was told_.'

She then sensed something above and turned and saw Shanyla directly above her with her arms extended.

" _Sea God's Njord!_ " Shanyla tried unleashing a massive tornado of black water as Heather.

' _Just as Master Hiccup predicted_ ,' said Heather as she held her ground.

Shanyla then landed on a lamppost and looked directly at her.

"Heather and Shanyla will collide," said Hiccup the First.

"And Shanyla appeared out of nowhere with the surprise attack, but Heather stood her ground and he standing strong!" Agnar cried.

Shanyla glared down at Heather. "You're the girl that Lyon's in love with right?"

"Yes, and it's definitely not neutral," said Heather strongly.

"Oh yeah," said Shanyla as black water began to cover her hands. She then unleashed a massive tornado of water. "Then get lost!"

Heather held her ground as the tornado struck her.

"That Shanyla the _God Slayer_ , she doesn't look like a huge threat but she can heal herself," said Rubbella.

"Then how in the heck is Heather is supposed to beat her?" Dogsbreath asked.

Hiccup the First smiled. "She just has to keep her busy and that will give Astra the opportunity to take on Minerva."

"This Minerva, she's the one from _Sabretooth_ ," said Fenris. "She's the one that brutally attacked will be in the water around."

"She's serious trouble," said Dogsbreath.

"I'm sure she's nothing that Freyja can't handle," said Rubbella confidently.

Astrid was walking down the street and looked up at the park above her. "There it is."

It in take long to reach the park and there she waited for Minerva. "According to the plan I'll encounter Minerva here soon."

She then sensed something directly behind her and saw Camicazi raising her sheathed sword.

"Here comes, Camicazi!" Agnar cried.

The entire crowd cheered while Hiccup the First stared dumbstruck.

"What?" he gasped.

Astrid quickly drew her battleaxe. ' _The First Master was wrong?_ '

She quickly blocked Camicazi sword with her axe and soon the two of them began to clash faster than anyone could blink. It was clear to all over them were very skilled when with fighting with a blade. They thought atrocity was hard to tell who had the upper hand until eventually they backed away from one another.

' _Her skill,_ ' said Astrid.

' _Let's see if she is deserving of her reputation as a warrior_ ,' said Camicazi.

* * *

In the stands Stoick just stared open eyed. "Camicazi? That's not in the plan, I thought Astrid was scheduled to go up against Minerva was she not?"

"It would seem as the renowned _Dragon Tactician_ has made an error in his calculations," said Fenris out loud.

"Truth be told no matter how many calculations you do they can never be hundred percent right," said Hiccup the First. "I was unable to get a good idea of Camicazi's psyche. She kept herself closed and very rarely spoke."

"I suppose it would be very hard to use to figure out her movements," Stoick agreed. He's then his eyes then lit up. "Hang on, then does that mean that…"

Hiccup the First remains silent as they watched the screens, but he had a very good idea on what was going to happen.

* * *

Astrid and Camicazi were still clashing with such ferocity that it was hard to tell who had the advantage. They were moving faster than anyone could blink and then the two of them clashed once again. Upon seeing this duel the entire crowd went mad with cheers.

"Now this is one heck of a matchup, is the ultimate swordswoman showdown!" Agnar announced.

"This should prove to be one of the best fights," Agnar agreed.

Astrid looked directly into Camicazi's eyes. ' _Even her sheathed sword is deadly._ '

"These two blade throwing beauties are literally locked in combat!" Agnar cried.

Then suddenly a strange looking or appear directly in front of them and a pair of arms emerged slamming their handwriting to their faces. The Minerva fully emerged grasping the two of them and then spun them around sending them flying across the floor.

"Odin's beard!" Agnar cried.

Minerva looked at the two of them. "If you don't mind, I'd love to join you."

"What an entrance!" Agnar cried in astonishment. "Minerva jumped in from seemingly out of nowhere!"

"I was afraid of this, Minerva has now joined the battle," Hiccup the First frowned.

"Amazing this one-on-one battle has turned into a three-way brawl, the tournament's trio of feminine power is now facing off in what would soon to be an epic showdown!" Agnar announced.

The three women were now staring at each other waiting for one of them to make the first move and the crowd was waiting in anticipation.

"They're all immensely powerful," said Fenris. "How could anyone predict this outcome?"

"Astrid should make easy work of them," said Rubbella confidently.

Dogsbreath wasn't as confident. "Yeah, well… I wouldn't say easy."

The members of the _Valkyrie's Sword_ were also quite concerned.

"Camicazi, you've got this one," said Athessa.

"She's probably going to win, right?" Babs asked.

"I told you not to worry, didn't I?" said Kelali.

"I know, but I'm scared."

"As long as I've known her she has never let me down. You know how much strength she has inside, don't lose faith in her."

Bertha was deeply concerned for her daughter. ' _If they knew the true reason why_ _Camicazi was so focused, they may not be as confident. No doubt_ _Camicazi thoughts are about Jellal and_ Dragon Tail _shielding them makes things complicated. Also, Minerva is just as ruthless as her father I wouldn't put it past her to come up with something underhanded_.'

Ilos could sense that there was a massive clash about to happen.

"Astrid and Camicazi, their strength has been burned into my memory, but still the lady will claim victory," he said confidently. "Not only is she is the most powerful fighter in our Guild, she has her Master's blood in her veins. Sting and Rogue are more widely known, but in reality they can't hold a candle to her."

Astrid was looking at the two of them with a firmed expression. "No matter who I'm up against I will win."

Camicazi on the other hand was more focused on Astrid. ' _I can't seem to understand how she thinks. From what Neria told me she underwent unimaginable pain under the hands of Jellal. Why does she protect him?_ '

Minerva looked at the two of them were fixed expression. "My Guild image is tarnished, these last few matches have been problematic, but I have an opportunity. Your Guild have inflicted the most damage, _Dragon Tail_ and _Valkyrie's Sword_. It is up to me to reclaim _Sabretooth's_ rightful place up top." Immediately a powerful aura flared around. "I think eliminating the two of you at the same time will make that abundantly clear, right?"

"How very ambitious," said Astrid as she gripped her battleaxe firmly.

Camicazi remain completely calm. "Enough talk for now! Fight!"

Immediately powerful aura then surrounded both Astrid and Camicazi and the entire ground began to shake with the magic power they were unleashing.

"Uh-oh, you feel that?" Agnar asked looking at Johann. "The surge of power emanating from our competitors is totally off the charts."

"Yes," Johann agreed. "Even from this far way I can feel the ways of intensity and this is only the beginning."

"All three of them are strong, but Astrid's spirit is far stronger," said Stoick.

Everyone watched in anticipation and then the three always surrounding the three women vanished. The moment the final stone landed on the ground they moved at each other exactly at the same time.

Astrid wielded her battleaxe, Camicazi her sheathed sword and Minerva's hand was surrounded by a powerful form of magic. The moment they collided and massive explosion incurred back to be seen for miles and when the smoke cleared all three of them remain completely unharmed.

Immediately the three women began to clash with one another as a three-way duel began. Astrid struck her battleaxe on top of Minerva, who blocked it with her magic covered hands and then dealt a devastating punch with the same magic. Camicazi then came out with a powerful kick sending her back and then Astrid regained her composure and charged at them once again.

She slammed a powerful kick right into Camicazi that launched her off the terrace and she immediately followed her. However, Camicazi recovered quickly and swung her sheathed sword and Astrid fell to the ground like a stone.

Camicazi looked up and saw Minerva was directly in front of her channelling her magic. She then unleashed a powerful pulse on top of Camicazi sending her flying, but Astrid had somehow managed to reappear directly behind her and raised her battleaxe.

"Victory is mine," said Minerva looking at her.

However, before she could counter against Astrid, Camicazi slammed the butt of her blade into her hip knocking her back. Astrid then slammed the base of battleaxe right on top of Camicazi sending her back.

Minerva quickly raised the palm of her hand and extended to fingers upon it with the other. " _Yagdo Rigora!_ "

Immediately both Astrid and Camicazi were contained in magical spheres before either of them could have a chance to escape.

"No," said Camicazi.

"What is this?" Astrid stared.

" _Niel Wielg Mion Terse Elcantaeus_ ," Minerva chanted as she moved her hand in a circular motion.

"What kind of crazy talk is that?" Dogsbreath stared.

"Some kind of incantation, but I don't know it," Fenris frowned.

"Astrid! Run away!" Rubbella called.

"That magic?" Hiccup the First stared.

"What is it?" Stoick asked looking at her.

"It's the Eighteen Gods of Adrait!" Hiccup the First gasped.

" _Yagdo Rigora!_ " Minerva roared.

Immediately there was a large explosion that consumed Astrid and Camicazi and within the light there was a vision of a divine looking statue intricate designs and patterns over its body. No doubt it was the cause of the blast which practically destroyed the park and a beam of light shot into the sky where could be seen upon miles.

The entire crowd was completely stunned and astonished as were the announcers and members of the other Guilds.

Orga smiled. "Yep, that's my lady."

Ilos laid on the ground with a smile also. "That power, it's unmistakable and unforgettable."

The attack had been so strong that both Heather and Shanyla had stopped the fighting and stared in the direction of the explosion.

"Whoa," said Heather.

"Crazy," Shanyla added.

They stared at the explosion a few more seconds and then promptly restarted their fight.

The explosion had been so fierce that the terrace had been turned to rubble. By some miracle when the dust again to settle both Astrid and Camicazi were still standing, though their close had been torn and they looked directly at Minerva.

"How can they still be standing?" Agnar stared.

The crowd then began to cheer wildly.

"Their incredible!"

"That's the understatement of the year, man!"

"They're so cool," said the girl.

"Wow," said Stoick star struck. "That one made my heart skip a beat."

"I can't believe that she mastered that magic," said Hiccup the First stunned.

"Those are three chicks you don't want to mess with," said Dogsbreath stunned.

Rubbella looked at Fenris. "You think this means their magic power is equal?"

"I honestly can't say," said Fenris.

Minerva looked at the two of them. "How fascinating, I'm afraid I may have underestimated your strength. Engaging you to personally has taught me many things, you both have so much power raging beneath the surface. Continuing on like this will take us nowhere so let's change of the game just a bit."

Minerva then discarded her feather boa and then extended her hand which then began to glow. Both Astrid and Camicazi took up fighting stances believing that she was about to attack them. However, she merely produced a sphere and then their eyes widened as a person they both knew appeared inside it.

"Do you say that?" Agnar stared open eyed. "It's her…"

"Yes," Johann nodded.

The person was none other than Neria and she looked as if she was in some sort of pain.

"I found a stray kitten," Minerva smiled sinisterly.

"Neira!" Astrid and Camicazi cried.

"What is the meaning of this?" Astrid raged.

Minerva chuckled evilly. "Look at that race twisted with pain, the spear she then constantly drains her magic power. It's excruciating."

"She's taken hostage," said Astrid horrified.

Naturally _Valkyrie's Sword_ completely outraged by this.

"How could she stoop so low?" Athessa glowered.

"I told you all, she is in trouble," said Babs with her hands on her cheek.

"But why? Why would she want to kidnap Neria?" Kelali frowned.

Bertha was in a rage. "Because she knows that Neria is important to the both of them."

Minerva smiled at the two of them. "Surrendering won't save her, rest assured I have a much more entertaining plan in mind. I told you that I wanted to change the game."

Both Astrid and Camicazi glared at her with burning hatred.

"Oh yes," said Minerva evilly. "Those scornful looks speak volumes."

* * *

Meanwhile at the palace, Mala had just informed of Darton of what would happen tomorrow if they did not act accordingly.

"Are you sure this?" he asked horrified. "If what you say is true then we must act at once. That means calling off the Games this instant."

"Not just yet, it's too soon" said Mala. "First we must verify this person claims are accurate."

Darton looked at her with a pleading look. "Princess, we may not have that kind of time. We're putting the lives of countless citizens at risk."

Mala sighed. "This person claims to know the future which includes the outcome of the Grand Magic Games. They told me that a certain Guild will win in a way that no one could imagined."

Darton stared at him. "But what does that mean?"

"It is unexpected enough that nobody could ever see it coming. So if this outcome does indeed come to pass its proof I will believe the other of the other dire predictions."

Darton just stared at her dumbfounded. "This is the future of our kingdom, you bet it's solely on the final result of the Grand Magic Games?"

"I have a hard time believing that," she said looking at him. "That's why we must wait, we must be absolutely certain in their words."

"What then? What if the Games at the end in the exact way that this mysterious adviser claims they will?"

Mala looked down into the city. "Then we can put our trust in them. We can heed their warnings and act accordingly and that means I will have no choice, but to activate _Eclipse_. They told me that they were from the future."

* * *

Meanwhile in the Palace of Perdition, Valka and the others stared at the cloaked figure that had appeared before them.

Valka then them and her eyes widened. "Wait, I recognise that smell, no doubt about it."

"I would be surprised if you didn't," said the cloaked figure with a very familiar voice.

"That's not possible, you can't be him," said Valka stared dumbfounded.

The cloaked figure then looked at them all. "I need your help."

The others soon recognised the cloaked figures voice as well.

"I know that voice," said Vala.

"I don't understand," Adelaide frowned.

"Neither do I," said Merrill. "What's happening?"

"Don't know," said Leo.

Ruby then approached the figure. "Show us who you are."

The cloaked figure then raised his right hand to his hood. "If you worry that you can't trust me, I think you'll find that you're on the one person you trust completely." Then when he removed his hood they all gasped, because they all recognise the face.

Throk managed to regain consciousness and stared at the cloaked figure.

"No," Ruby gasped.

Standing before them was Hiccup, but this one had a large scar running down the left side of his face.

"Hiccup?" Ruby gasped.

"But he's in the midst of the final Game," Valka stared.

"Could he be the Edolas version?" Toothless asked looking at the other Exceeds.

"He's not and I'm afraid that not going to be as simple as that," said Skullcrusher.

"Indeed, this guy is new, he has a prosthetic leg and more importantly about the same age as our Hiccup," said Stormfly.

Stormfly was a shot out of them all. ' _Oh no, that means my premonition could it be coming true?_ '

The Hiccup before then looked at them. "I need your help, because if you don't the entire kingdom is doomed."


	60. Astrid vs Camicazi

"It's the final day of the Grand Magic Games and the competition is really heating up," said Agnar. "The ladies of _Valkyrie's Sword_ had been pushed back to 4th place with 43 points."

"Well, that's what happens when you three team members right off the bat," said Johann.

"Geez, way to point out the obvious pal," said Kelail.

"I can't believe I went down so easily," said Babs.

"Well, it's not like we did any better," said Athessa.

Bertha looked at the three of them. "I think it's clear that you free need to do a bit more training, but we still have Camicazi."

"And now connect in 2nd place with 49 points each is _Thor's Hammer_ and _Sabretooth_ ," Agnar added.

"Our kids have their work cut out for them, don't they?" said Stoick.

"Only the most powerful competitors remain," said Hiccup the First.

"And in 1st place with 50 points and every single member still standing, give it up _Dragon Tail_!" Agnar cried.

The crowd certainly responded with cheers.

Johann then looked at the other announcers. "Gotta say their initial strategy threw me off, I thought they were goners didn't you?"

"I figured it was part of their plan," Johann admitted. "Once they sprang into action they dominated the competition, but a _Dragon Tail_ price like that is always going to cause quite a bit of damage to the city."

Johann wasn't kidding as there was a lot of smoke emerging from the buildings.

"I'm told it will be restored by using magic," said Agnar. "But at this moment we should be more focused with a three-way battle is taking place. A battle between _Dragon Tail's_ Astrid, _Valkyrie's Sword_ Camicazi and _Sabretooth's_ Minerva."

"These fierce ladies may just bring this tournament during our shaking climax," said Johann. "As tensions have risen due to Minerva capture of Neria and both Astrid and Camicazi look as if they're looking for blood."

* * *

Meanwhile in the Palace of Perdition, Valka and her team were looking at the cloaked figure who had just revealed himself to be Hiccup.

"I don't believe my eyes," said Valka.

"It can't be possible," Ruby stared.

"Minus the scar, he looks just like my cousin," said Adelaide.

"Does that mean that the same person?" Merrill frowned.

"There's no way, that has to be Gemini, right?" Vala asked.

"I don't know, but it's definitely not the Edolas Hiccup, he should be seven years older and he certainly didn't the prosthetic last time we saw him," said Toothless.

The Hiccup in front of them looked at them solemnly. "I know that you have heard of _Eclipse_ by now. I was able to use its powers to meet with you today, but at a terrible cost."

Everyone gasped.

"You used the _Eclipse_?" Skullcrusher stared. "But that would mean…"

"You've come for another time haven't you?" Stormfly stared.

"Yes, from the future," he nodded.

Everyone just stared at him.

"What's going on?" Ruby asked. "Why did you decide to come back into our time?"

He then looked at them with a grim expression. "I came to warn you, this kingdom is doomed…" However, before he could continue he then fell unconscious and collapsed to the ground.

Valka quickly approached the future version of her son.

"Is he going to be okay?" Merrill asked.

"He's fainted, but he still breathing," said Valka feeling her breath on her hand. "I think you'll be all right."

"Okay, can someone explain to me what's going on?" Toothless asked.

"I don't have any idea," said Skullcrusher.

"Nor I, but it's clear that this _Eclipse Project_ is far more complicated than we believed," said Cloudjumper.

Stormfly looked at Hiccup. "A Hiccup from the future, but what could this mean? Could my vision be coming true?"

"Good thing Hiccup's not here, there's no way to tell how he would react," said Adelaide.

"I don't understand why he would do this in the first place?" Ruby frowned. "The only thing that comes to mind was that he was desperate."

Valka then picked her son up and looked at everyone. "At any rate, we better taken with us. We can work the rest out later."

"Then ones were outside the castle will launch the signal flare," said Vala.

Merrill nodded. "Right, the rest of the Guild will be happy to know that we have rescued Ruby."

"I'm sure that Stoick and Hiccup the First will be most interested in what we have discovered," said Valka as they made their way through the door.

* * *

Meanwhile Darton was still trying to comprehend what the Princess had informed him on. It was very hard to believe and very troubling if it was true.

"Princess, there's something I don't understand," said Darton. "You need a Celestial Viking to open the _Eclipse Gate_ and yet you through the two you had into the Palace of Perdition. Why would you hinder your own plans like that? It doesn't make sense."

"It does and doesn't," said Mala simply. "I only needed the 12 Zodiac keys, not the Vikings themselves, but…" She paused slightly. "I acted cruelly."

"If it's the key you need to activate the _Eclipse_ then why did you return them to their Vikings?" Darton frowned now even more confused. "Seems rather foolish to toss aside keys to a door you wish to pass through."

"The keys are no longer needed," said Mala.

Darton frowned. "Why is that Princess?"

"Because I've already used them, the doorway from space and time is now unlock. All that's left is for someone to open the door and walk through it."

"And is this someone prepared to take responsibility for the lives they may ruin by changing history?"

"I won't shoulder this burden alone, that is why I wanted Throk by my side and why I thought you approval. Whether we open _Eclipse_ or not depends on the outcome of the games. For now we must wait and see how it unfolds."

* * *

Meanwhile in the ruined Park both Astrid and Camicazi were staring down Minerva, who still had Neria trapped.

"Release her at once!" Camicazi demanded.

"Perhaps in a bit, but first I plan to show you how Queen wages war," said Minerva.

Camicazi then grabbed his sheathed sword and aimed directly at her with hatred flowing through her eyes and some small stone began to float into the air. "This is your last chance, release my comrade and I will allow you to live!"

"If you want to save her come and take her."

Camicazi glare wasn't entered she slammed her put into the ground cracking the concrete beneath her. She then moves faster than anyone could blink and soon appear directly in front of Minerva.

"She's so fast," Astrid gasped.

"You will be the second tiger eye feast upon!" Camicazi roared.

"Careful Valkyrie, this one is rather tough to swallow," Minerva warned.

Then suddenly just as Camicazi was beginning to swing her sword both Minerva and Astrid switched places much to the astonishment of everyone. It was far too late for Camicazi to stop us swing, but particularly Astrid was quite fast herself and drew her axe blocking her attack.

The entire crowd was utterly astonished by this display.

"That is remarkable," said Stoick stunned.

The members of _Valkyrie's Sword_ were quite shocked.

"What did she just do I didn't say a thing?" Athessa asked.

"Neither did I, it was too fast," said Babs stunned.

"Never dirty trick," Kelail growled.

"She fights with no honour and is nothing more than a coward," said Bertha in rage. "She is unfit to lead."

Both Astrid and Camicazi were the most stunned as they looked at each other.

' _They switched places?_ ' Camicazi stared.

' _What kind of magic is this?_ ' said Astrid stunned.

"You ladies can go ahead in battle it out, I'll wait and take on the victor when she's weakened," said Minerva as she walked off.

"You're running from a fight, you interrupted?" Astrid glared. "And you call yourself a Queen."

"A true Queen arranges the pawns to suit her strategy," she said with her back towards the.

Both Astrid and Camicazi glared at her, because they both viewed her as a coward and unfit to lead anyone.

She then looked back at them. "Anything you should be flattered, I must admit that I underestimated your combined power. I now realise that I wouldn't stand a chance against the two of you, but in the end it's irreverent. A Queen does not yield power alone."

"Let Neria go!" Astrid roared.

Camicazi immediately glared at her. "I'm warning you, don't you dare…" She then suddenly head-butted Astrid. "Don't pretend to be my ally!"

Minerva turned her back upon them. "My my, it seems you ladies have some catching up to do." She then waved her hand and the spear containing Neria vanished into thin air. "I'll just be on my way."

"I accept your terms just leave Neira out of this!" Camicazi demanded.

Minerva merely smiled at her evilly as she entered one of the spheres herself and then vanished.

"She's got us in quite a blind," Astrid noted.

"Be quiet," said Camicazi as he turned to Astrid with an ugly look in her eyes. "I don't speak to my enemies, I destroy them."

* * *

At the Coliseum this turn of events were quite shocking to everyone.

"Well, this is certainly a complicated situation," said Agnar. He then turned to Johann. "Tell me Mr Johann, what do you make of it?"

Johann frowned. "There isn't any rule against taking hostages during the battle royale. Therefore we have no choice, but a look at this kidnapping as a tactical play."

"You kidding me," Babs stared. "She's going to hurt Neria unless somebody stops her."

"I agree, but there's nothing we can do," said Bertha clenching her fists. "But if _Sabretooth_ harms her in any way they will certainly feel my wrath."

Athessa just hugged herself. "I feel so helpless standing here watching on the sidelines."

"Master Bertha is right," said Kelail regretfully. "We can only hope that Camicazi is able to save her."

* * *

Meanwhile Eret was another part of the city following the directions of the First Master had given him. He was making his way through a pathway through the side of the canal.

"This is just great," Eret groaned. "The First Master's plan has gone right off the rails. Though, she did warned that Camicazi was a wild card."

Hiccup the First was still stunned by the miscalculation in his step.

"We all make mistakes, First Master," said Gustav.

"I know, I should have done more research on Camicazi maybe I could have predicted this outcome," he sighed. "Though Minerva capturing Neria was a bit of a surprise."

Fishlegs looked at Ruffnut who was staring up at the monitor. "Are you feeling all right, Ruff?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said dismissively.

Tuffnut smirked. "You got a crush on someone?"

Ruffnut turned on him. "That's one more crush then you have." She then turned back to the monitor. "Do you think he'll be all right?"

"Of course he will," said Fishlegs. "He's a _Dragon Slayer_ it takes a lot to keep them down."

"Yeah, you're right," Ruffnut nodded. Though she still looked slightly concerned. "Good luck, Eret. We're rooting for you."

Eret then suddenly came to a stop as he sense something behind him. There, just as the First Master had predicted, was Rogue.

"Well well, fancy meeting you here," Eret smirked. "You better watch yourself, because I'm nowhere near as nice as Night Fury."

"Whoa," Agnar gasped. "Looks like a couple Dragon is about to duke it out."

Skull watch from the monitor. "Watch yourself, Rogue."

* * *

In the central Plaza, Orga was unleashing black lightning from his body as his opponent appeared in front of him. Hiccup, in present time, was now standing in front of him looking completely unfazed with his show of power.

"Ah, I think this matchup may prove to be even more exciting," said Agnar.

"Nice weather were having," said Hiccup calmly.

"I was truly hoping to face Alvin, after all me and him use the same kind of magic," said Orga eyeing him carefully. "However, I want than happy to take you down to rub my victory in Sting and Rogue's faces."

"You're not a normal lighting user, aren't you?" Hiccup noted.

Orga smiled. "You noticed, huh? I'm a _Lightening God Slayer_."

Flames now covered Hiccup. "Just to warn you, you're not the first _God Slayer_ that I've taken down."

"By Thor's hammer, I think I'm going to faint," Agnar stared. "The matchups just keep on coming."

"We haven't seen Sting in a while," Johann noted. "I wonder if he'll make an appearance?"

Agnar frowned. "That's odd the lacrimatron cameras can't seem to find him anywhere in the city."

Skull was looking deeply concerned. "Come on guys, you have to win if we want to get Hookfang back."

* * *

Meanwhile at the palace, Mala and Darton were now in her chambers watching the Games. She had just said what the outcome of the Grand Magic Games would be from her contact from the future.

"Hmm, it would be incredible for the Games to end in such a way," he admitted. "But I have my doubts whether it will actually come to pass. Seems all but impossible."

Mala nodded. "I have the same doubts as you Minister, we can only hope my contact is mistaken."

Sting meanwhile was still sitting in an alley hallway from any of the battles that were taking place. He was fully aware of what Minerva had done.

"You fight really dirty milady," he said. "But it ain't going to matter, at least not after I'm finished, with the plan I've got in mind there's nothing that anyone can do to keep me from winning. I'm gonna make you proud, Hookfang."

* * *

Meanwhile far away from the city was Jellal, Ultear and Orara. They were still shocked at the warnings that the Hiccup from the future had given Jellal.

"I'm afraid that we've gravely misunderstood the gravity of the situation," said Jellal as he sat on a stone contemplating. "If there is a joke in this it's that our fate is already sealed."

"What do we do if this future Hiccup is telling the truth?" Orara asked. "There's got to be something, right?"

"If we can't think of a plan, the kingdom will be destroyed," said Ultear gravely. She then turned to Jellal. "Any ideas Jellal?"

Orara, however, was the one that spoke up. "But how? How is this possible?"

Ultear sighed. "I guess it's still following me, even after all this time."

Orara frowned. "What?"

"The price of all my sins," she said simply. "Destruction."

Ultear then began to remember how Jellal, Astrid, Valka and among others were trapped within a cult that worshipped Drago for stability R System in order to bring him back into the world. Of course that all changed when Astrid created a successful rebellion, but when she tried free Jellal, who had been captured before the rebellion, he had changed considerably.

It was due to her influence, convincing him that she was in fact Drago and chose him as his disciple. Jellal's mind had already been broken upon torture from the slaves so it was very easy for her to manipulate him. Once Astrid freed him he probably betrayed her examine her from the island and trapping the others on the island.

Of course, eight years later Jellal came to abduct Astrid to use her as a vessel to awaken Drago. However, he had greatly underestimated her friends which was his downfall. A massive collision of powers clash between both Jellal and Hiccup and with the use of the Dragon Force Hiccup was able to vanquish Jellal.

An unexpected turn happy with that battle, Hiccup somehow managed to break control over Jellal, returning him back to the trend that Astrid wants knew. Of course, that did not convince the Viking Council and all those it hurt and so he was locked away. Then Ultear and Orara, both of whom finally regretted their actions in the past freed him and began their own guild in order to right the wrongs they had done.

Ultear however still blamed himself causing all that pain. ' _I will never find redemption no matter how hard I may try_ ,' she said to herself.

"So what now?" Orara asked. "Seems at the very least that we should try and get the citizens to evacuate."

"That would only cause panic," said Ultear.

"It will save their lives!"

"That's enough!" said Jellal forcibly. "There's no guarantee that what he said will come to pass."

"What?" Ultear stared.

"Why do you say that?" Orara frowned.

"I'm not quite sure just yet, but all is not as it seems," he said cryptically. "Something isn't right."

* * *

Meanwhile in the ruined Park both Astrid and Camicazi were looking at each other prepared to do combat.

"Looks like it's time for one of us to put an end to this," said Astrid.

"I'm not going to hold back," said Camicazi.

"I'd be insulted if you did."

Immediately the two of them then clash with one another and to the amazement of all somehow Camicazi was able to push Astrid back. She quickly somersaulted and transformed into her _Deadly Naddder Armour_.

" _Deadly Nadder!_ " She then unleashed a barrage of spikes from her back. " _Spine Shot!_ "

Camicazi however drew her sheathed sword. " _Blunt Sword! Archenemy: Blast Form!_ "

She then swung her blade slicing the spikes to pieces and then rushed towards Astrid slamming her sword right into her. Causing the floor to cave in and Astrid saw that she was preparing for yet another attack.

" _Slicing Form!_ " she yelled charging towards.

Astrid quickly transformed her armour into her Boneknapper Armour. " _Boneknapper Armour!_ "

She quickly brought her to shields together, but Camicazi zoomed right past her Astrid shields fell from a hand as she groaned in pain.

"That's crazy," said Gustav astonished. "The Odin Cannon couldn't even break through that armour."

"Plus she has drawn her sword yet," Fishlegs noted.

"So powerful," said Stoick folding his arms.

Both Camicazi and Astrid were falling and Astrid herself was completely confused on what had just happened.

"How did she…?"

"Strange that you survived," said Camicazi looking at her.

Astrid then immediately transformed into her _Speed Stinger Armour_. " _Speed Stinger Armour!_ _Sonic Claw!_ "

She immediately dashed off jumping from the rubble to rubble towards Camicazi. She then slammed her twin blade directly on top of her, but somehow Camicazi had managed to overpower and she was hit instead.

"Didn't even say her attack," Fishlegs gasped.

"Me neither," said Ruffnut.

Astrid then landed onto the ground hard and Camicazi landed perfectly on the ground, looking completely unharmed.

Stoick couldn't believe his eyes. "Astrid has been beaten in a sword fight? That's impossible!"

"I have to admit, I never saw this coming either," said Hiccup the First.

Astrid was now back in her normal attire wincing in pain and Camicazi looked completely fine.

"Incredible!" Agnar cried. "Camicazi has taken down Astrid, the one who wiped out all 100 monsters in _Pandemonium_."

Astrid looked up at Camicazi. "I'm surprised, to think that such power existed. I suppose your strength is fuelled by your hatred for Jellal."

Camicazi's eyes then grew even fiercer and she approached Astrid. She then dealt her a powerful kick in the chest sending her crashing into one of the pillars that were surrounding them.

Astrid was winded, but still standing. "If you want to hold on to your hatred, it makes no difference to me. Go right ahead, but please don't force Neria to go down that road with you! She is moving on!"

"This was his will," said Camicazi with burning hatred in her eyes. She then struck Astrid with her sheathed sword sending her flying into yet another pillar. "And now it is mine as well. I will kill Jellal."

Astrid coughed spilling a bit of blood and then looked at her. "What happened? What drove you to these extremes?"

Camicazi looked at her with a firmed expression. "The man whose will I speak of, it turns out you knew him very well. His name was Olaf and Jellal killed him, he was my brother!"

Astrid's eyes widened in shock. Olaf had been one of her childhood friends in the slave camp with Neria and Jellal. He had been the only one that didn't believe Jellal's lives and help them in order to end his tyranny. Unfortunately, when Jellal attempted to kill Hiccup Astrid placed herself in front of him to protect him and then at the last second he did the same thing for her.

"Olaf," she stared. "You're his sister?"

"My mother spent a lot of time away from home leaving just me and Olaf at the house alone. We had a happy life, but then that happiness was taken away. One night, when mother was away from one of her jobs, these strange men showed up in our village. It was a child hunt, I alone managed to escape.

"After the massacre, my mother found me and took me away when we try to find my brother. We spent years searching for him and then started her Guild of our very own, _Valkyrie's Sword_. Then on a job I met Neria and then she told me everything. That's when I found out my brother had been killed and how much he had suffered, he was imprisoned, tortured and enslaved for years. Then he was brutally murdered… I was plunged into darkness."

She then drew her sheathed sword. "That's when I took a new vow to avenge his death. Until the time comes for me to fulfil the vow, _Archenemy_ shall remain in its sheath."

Astrid closed her eyes and then looked up at Camicazi. "There's something you need to know, Neria didn't see your brother died." Camicazi stared at her. "She wasn't there, it was only Jellal, Olaf, Hiccup and me. Jellal was about to kill Hiccup, but I couldn't allow that to happen and so I place myself in front of him.

"Jellal then unleashed his spell, but then Olaf appeared and shielded me with his own body. The attack was so fierce that his body couldn't take it that he died in my arms. I can see why you thought that Jellal was responsible for your brother's death. It would be easy to let you go on believing that, but I'm the one to blame."

Camicazi's eyes widened. "You resort to lies just to be that killer scapegoat!"

"I'm sorry, but it's the truth," said Astrid now flirting with tears. "If I hadn't been so incredibly weak, your brother would still be alive and well today."

Camicazi hands began to shake as the clutched her sheathed blade. The members of _Valkyrie's Sword_ realise what he was about to do and were completely horrified.

"Camicazi, no!" Athessa cried.

"Think about what you're doing!" Babs begged.

"Don't let your anger get the best of you!" Kelail pleaded.

"I was afraid of this," said Bertha horrified. "She's become her own worst enemy."

The chains surrounding Camicazi's sword snapped as she drew the blade with hatred filling her to the bone and a bright light began to cover the entire area.

"I'm so sorry," said Astrid as the light began to consume.

Then everyone who was close to her, Hiccup, Valka and Jellal then sensed something that shook them to the bone. Stoick could sense it to, but he need not as he was witnessing the entire event with his own eyes. Blood has been spilled upon the ground and the site sent shivers down his spine.


	61. A Future Racing Toward Despair

Everyone was watching as Camicazi brought her unsheathed sword down on top of Astrid with intense hatred within her eyes. Everything appeared to have slowed down to a crawl and Stoick could feel the anguish within Camicazi.

' _I can feel the blood lust from here,_ ' said Stoick to himself.

However, before Camicazi's blade struck Astrid she summoned her battle-axe and used it to block her attack. The impact caused a massive shock wave that smashed right through the building they were in now and sliced through many houses within the city.

The entire crowd was stunned by this display as dust hide both combatants from view. When the smoke finally cleared they saw that Astrid was now standing on her feet.

"I'm sorry, but I can't afford to die here," she said.

Camicazi just looked at her with burning hatred.

* * *

Meanwhile, Valka and her team have now found themselves in some sort of crossroad they weren't sure which route to take.

"This is getting ridiculous," said Merrill. "How many more twists and turns are there?"

"No for that matter, we don't even know we've been making circles this whole time," Ruby moaned.

Valka sighed. "There's wind draughts blowing in almost every direction. I can't tell which one goes outside."

Leo looked at the weakened Throk. "The big guy is not going to last too much longer."

"If we can get in touch with the others none of this would be a problem," said Stormfly.

"I'm willing to bet their blocking our communications," Toothless assumed.

"We just have to hope that our luck will change and keep looking for a way out of here," said Adelaide.

"And if it doesn't change we could all be stuck wondering down here forever," said Skullcrusher.

"Indeed, I do not put much faith in our luck," Cloudjumper admitted.

"I'm sorry, we wouldn't be stuck down here if I was more acquainted with the layout of the castle," said Vala apologetically.

"Hey, don't sweat it, no one here blames you," Ruby assured.

"I suggest that we keep on moving and maybe we can get some answers from for my son from the future," said Valka.

"You're right," Merrill nodded.

"Forward march!" Ruby ordered as the selected a passageway and began to walk.

* * *

Meanwhile in her chambers, Mala was watching at the games transpired with Darton.

"Believe me, I completely understand your apprehension," she said looking at the Minister. "I realised how absurd it sounds, we're deciding the fate of this world based on the outcome of the Games. Truth be told, I would prefer if we had more time to study the situation in detail.

"The lives of future of everyone in this kingdom hang in the balance and yet I have nothing to base my decision on, but the word of a single person. At first I thought they were insane claiming to be from the future, but as I began to listen the pieces came together and now there's just one more thing to validate their predictions and if it comes to pass we will face certain doom. I pray that their claims will prove to be untrue or else calamity may soon be at our doorstep."

* * *

Meanwhile, Valka and her team were still trying to navigate their way through the passageways. Ruby leaned ahead around the corner to make sure that there was no one around.

"How does it look, Ruby?" Merrill asked.

Ruby looked back at them. "I think the close is clear. Let's go."

"Right," Merrill nodded.

Ruby then started to lead the way, but Cloudjumper hanged back so that was fly next to Valka.

"Anything the Grand Magic Games are going?" he asked.

"I'm assuming that now only the toughest players remain," said Valka. "Though I imagine that our Guild is among the numbers and other doing everything they can to win this."

* * *

Meanwhile on the surface, Astrid and Camicazi had just collided with resulting in the destruction of the area they were in. Upon seeing Astrid holding her own once again the members of _Dragon Tail_ smiled.

 _Valkyrie's Sword_ were quite shocked by this display however.

"How did she block Camicazi's _Archenemy_?" Kelail stared.

"Don't know," said Athessa.

"This can't be good," Babs said with a concerned voice.

Kelail looked at Bertha. "Master, do you have any ideas?"

Bertha looked at Astrid. "Her will is stronger than steel and her spirit shines brighter than the brightest star in the night sky. To be honest I would have been more surprised if she hadn't been able to block Camicazi's _Archenemy_."

This left the girls of _Valkyrie's Sword_ slightly confused. Bertha then looked at the fight that was going on. ' _Maybe Astrid can finally quell Camicazi's rage and maybe save her from herself_.'

Immediately both Astrid and Camicazi disengage at the ceiling above and began to crumble.

Astrid was looking at Camicazi with a determined look. "Olaf, saved my life. As did Valka." She then transformed into a _Boneless Armour_. "As did the man I love and my friends." She then summoned a sword and pointed it straight at Camicazi. "If I throw it all away, I'd be discrediting everything they've done for me."

Camicazi gritted her teeth in anger. "Running away like Jellal." She then raised her sword. "Then I'll kill you both."

She then charged towards Astrid and slammed her sword towards her. However, Astrid raised her own blade and blocked the attack.

"If that's what drives your life then so be it," she said pushing Camicazi's blade away. She then jumped into the air and place both hands on her sword. "It's not my place to tell you what to think or feel." Camicazi then jumped off the ground herself heading straight towards. "But I will not lose!"

The two of them then struck one another with their magic blades, but it was Astrid that overpowered Camicazi. She landed with both feet firmly on the ground as Camicazi fell looking towards Astrid completely perplexed before she landed on the ground.

The entire crowd then cheered.

"That was awesome!"

"It's Astrid!" Agnar cried. "What incredible fortitude! Despite being battered and bruised, she turned the tables."

"Most impressive," Johann smiled.

"That was truly amazing," said Mindor.

The members of _Valkyrie's Sword_ were completely stunned.

"She finally unsheathed her sword," Athessa stared.

"And she still lost, but how?" said Kelail breathlessly.

"I can't believe it," said Babs on the verge of tears.

"In short, Astrid's spirit is far stronger than Camicazi," Bertha sighed.

Stoick smiled. "Well done, not even my eyes could keep up with that quick attack."

However, Astrid's victory was not assured as Camicazi was not down for the count just yet.

"Camicazi, is getting back up!" Agnar stared. "Neither of them wants to throw in the towel!"

"I will, avenge him," said Camicazi shakily.

Astrid turned around and looked up and that a large chunk of the ceiling was brawling right on top of Camicazi.

"Look out!" Astrid cried.

A split second later the ceiling fell to the ground spreading dust in all directions. The entire crowd was silent upon seeing this.

"Oh no," Stoick breathed.

"Camicazi!" Bertha cried.

However, when the dust finally began to settle Camicazi was a good fair distance away from the rubble. She had been pushed aside by Astrid, whose right leg was crushed beneath the rubble.

Camicazi just stared at her as she winced in pain, indicating that her leg was broken. "But why?" she stared.

"It's because I… remember… you're face," said Astrid weakly. Camicazi's eyes widened and she rose to her feet. "I know you. Not personally, but we have at least met. All I can recall is meeting Olaf's sister on that night."

Camicazi just looked at her in shock. "You can't be…"

Astrid smiled. "It's true just like you I was grew up in Rosemary Village. I was there when you lost everything."

Camicazi was completely speechless.

* * *

Fifteen years ago, Rosemary village have been attacked by cultists, who but every single house, killed every single adult and kidnapped every single child.

"Grab all the children, slaughter any adult you find!" said the one leading the cultists.

Camicazi was wondering through the streets trying to find her brother. "Big Brother? Where are you?"

Then suddenly someone grabbed her hand and she saw a blonde haired girl who was about 12 years old. "You got to hide or else are going to find you," she said and dragged her away.

"Let go! I need to find my brother!" she cried.

Unfortunately, her cries were heard by some of the cultists nearby.

"I heard some kids over there, let's go and check it out."

The blond haired girl then quickly placed her in a barrel. "Stay quiet."

"What about you?" Camicazi asked.

"I'll be fine, I'll find another spot," she said as he lowered the lid. She then looked at her with her steel blue eyes and smiled. "Stay alive."

Camicazi wanted to cry, the new if she did she would be caught and could only watch as the girl closed the lid on top of her. The girl quickly walked out of the alley whether cultists could see her.

"There I found one!" a cultist cried.

"Grab her!"

The next morning, Camicazi had climbed out of the barrel to find that everything had been destroyed and that there was no sign of the girl that saved her.

* * *

Back in the present, Camicazi was staring at Astrid with her hands over her mouth. She couldn't believe that she had almost tried to kill the very same girl that saved her all those years ago.

"You were the one," she said finally able to speak.

"Olaf was always talking about you," Astrid smiled. "Hoping that you are healthy and safe, but he wasn't the only one who worried. I kept you in my thoughts as well." Tears were now covering Camicazi's face. "Even now."

Camicazi then lifted the rubble of Astrid's leg and pulled her out. "I need some time to take all this in. For now though, I hand over this victory… to—"

Then suddenly from out of nowhere a sword appeared right through her chest. Standing directly behind her holding her very own _Archenemy_ was Minerva. Astrid's eyes widened in horror as Minerva pulled the sword out of her and watched as he collapsed to the ground.

"You won this fight Astrid, but the points belong to yours truly," Minerva smiled viciously.

1st Sabretooth: 54P

2nd Dragon Tail: 50P

2nd Thor's Hammer: 49P

4th Valkyrie's Sword: 43P

"Minerva has struck down Camicazi!" Agnar announced. " _Sabretooth_ scores five points were defeating a team leader that puts them ahead of _Dragon Tail_ by four points and without it badly hurt on the battlefield _Dragon Tail_ may lose one of its best."

Minerva then tossed aside Camicazi's Sword. "Didn't I tell you, this is the manner in which the Queen does battle? A Queen only dines on delicacies, such as the severed head of a Valkyrie with a winged plucked Dragon for desert. How scrumptious."

Rage was now covering Astrid's entire body as she produced her most terrifying death glare imaginable as Minerva laughed.

"You'll pay for that," she said through gritted teeth.

Minerva just merely smiled at her. "I'd like to see you make me, especially when you're so obviously wounded that would be an amusing trick."

"Neria," said Camicazi as she clutched her chest shaking crazily. "Please, you have to… save her."

"I will," Astrid promised.

"Who's Neria," said Minerva looking down at her evilly. "Oh, the little kitten."

She then raised her hand and Neria appeared out of nowhere. Both Astrid and Camicazi stared at her and unmoving Camicazi.

"As you can already see she's already down and out," said Minerva. She then looked up into the sky. "I believe I've found another point!"

Unfortunately, she had.

1st Sabretooth: 55P

2nd Dragon Tail: 50P

3rd Thor's Hammer: 49P

" _Sabretooth's_ total just jumped to 55!" Agnar cried.

" _Dragon Tail_ keeps getting further and further behind," said Mindor gravely.

"A five-point gap, that will be difficult to come back from," said Johann.

Astrid immediately went to Neria and held in her arms. "Please talk to me!"

Neria opened her eyes and looked at her. "Astrid? Is that you?"

She then fell unconscious again.

"Stay with me! Neria!" Astrid pleaded.

She then held in sticky substance on her hand and looked at it. Her eyes widened when she discovered it to be blood. She lifted Neria's cape and to her horror she found whip marks on her back.

"What in the name of Hela is this!" she yelled.

"Frankly, the two of you were beginning to bore me. I need to do something to entertain myself," Minerva shrugged. She then gave her a fiendish smile. "Her screams were quite lovely."

Astrid then rose to her feet and face Minerva with the most frightening look imaginable.

"Bad move," said Stoick.

"They're both down this is horrible!" Athessa gasped.

"We've got to do something, quick!" Kelail cried running out of the stands.

"They need medical help hurry!" said Babs as she and Athessa followed her.

Bertha on the other hand remained sitting as anger filled her body. "If Astrid doesn't take you down, I'll make sure personally that you won't see the light of day," she said through gritted teeth.

"All of _Valkyrie's Sword_ competitors are now out of the match leaving Astrid and Minerva to battle it out one-on-one," said Agnar.

"It will be tough, Astrid is covered in wounds from head to toe," said Mindor.

"And Minerva has come out of this as fresh as a daisy," Johann added.

"It's down to the Queen of the Valkyrie's versus the Queen of the Tigers," said Agnar.

* * *

Astrid and Minerva weren't the only ones combatants still remaining there are many more Viking battles erupted across the city. One of these matches was against Eret and Rogue, who immediately turned into shadow.

He quickly appeared behind Eret, who turned around in a brief second later she vanished once again into shadow. She then appeared directly behind him with a small smile on her face preparing to strike on his back was turned. However, Eret sense his presence and immediately slammed his fist right into her gut.

Eret's right-hand then change into his iron club which is slammed right into Rogue's face. He then began to bombard her with more iron clubs until she was sent flying across the alleyway. She managed to held her ground and looked directly at Eret.

Eret looked at her with a disappointed look. "I was expecting more from you, you're just wasting my time," he said turning around and walked off.

Rogue just stayed there motionless for a few seconds before looking up at Eret. "You don't scare me, you aren't even as strong as Hiccup Haddock."

Eret stopped in his tracks and then turned to face him.

* * *

Meanwhile Hiccup and Orga were both still in the Plaza looking at one another. They had just seen the confrontation between Astrid and Minerva and Orga was looking at him smugly.

"Your girlfriend doesn't stand a chance against milady," he smiled.

Hiccup looked at him and chuckled slightly. "Trust me, she made a mistake getting on Astrid's bad side. When she gets that angry you don't want to be anywhere near her, because you might end up dead."

Orga laughed. "You don't truly believe that she can stand a chance. She's already wounded and milady hasn't taken a single scratch."

"Your milady fights without honour and uses dirty tricks to get ahead," said Hiccup narrowing his eyes. "It's those kinds of techniques that Astrid hates most of all. Granted the element of surprise has always been a favourite tactic of mine, but I would never cross the line that she had crossed."

"And that's why you will lose," Orga smirked.

Hiccup shook his head. "Your Guild surely needs to learn some humility. You just don't get it, there is always someone better than you. The way you look down on other guilds will be your downfall, it is after all how you've lost most of your matches."

Orga snarled at him. "You've got a big mouth and I'll be happy to blow it off!"

He then flung his hand forward and unleashing a burst of black lightning that shot past Hiccup and destroyed the building behind him. It was no doubt to intimidate him, but Hiccup remained stern and kept his eyes focused on Orga.

"What's the matter?" Orga smirked. "Too afraid that you can't move?"

Hiccup looked at him squarely. "We both know that you weren't going to hit me. If you think you can intimidate me you're dead wrong."

"Is that so?" said Orga as black lightning began to cover his body. "Then I'll just have to try harder!"

"You can try," said Hiccup as flames erupted around his body. "And you will fail."

Immediately the two of them raise their fists which then collided. The moment they collided a storm of black lightning and fire shot out in all directions and neither one of them gave an inch. Once the flames and lightning dispelled they looked at one another completely unfazed by the attack they unleashed.

They pulled away from one another when they heard footsteps approaching them.

"My, my," said a new voice. They turned and saw placing them was none other than Jura. "I was hoping to come across some capable warriors."

Orga eyes widened. "The Viking Lord Jura."

Hiccup smiled. "Now that is a person who knows how to intimidate."

* * *

Elsewhere both Heather and Shanyla were still fighting at one another with hand-to-hand combat and neither one was slowing down.

"I won't let you sneer Lyon with your wild!" Shanyla yelled as she swung a fist towards Heather.

Heather quickly blocked it. "I told you I'm not interested with a guy."

Shanyla didn't appear to listen as he kept on swinging fists towards her. Heather blocked and dodged them as quickly as he could and then performed a powerful spinning kick. Shanyla immediately jumped in the air to dodge it and then landed in front of her.

"To think she's giving Shanyla this much trouble that my Heather," said Lyon's voice alerting Shanyla that he was behind.

"Now this is starting to get ridiculous," said Ragnar's voice from behind Heather.

Immediately the two girls stop fighting and turned towards the members of their respective Guilds.

"Lyon!" Shanyla tried

"Ragnar!" said Heather with relief at the exact same time.

Lyon then noticed the wound on Ragnar. "What happened to you Ragnar? You're looking a little rough."

Ragnar smiled. "I was just taking care of some unfinished business, you know how it is." He then turned his eyes upon Heather. "Heather, let's take them out together."

Heather smiled. "Thought you'd never ask."

Lyon smiled at Ragnar. "I have to bring Heather to her senses."

"I think you're the only one who needs to be brought to your senses," Shanyla sighed.

* * *

Meanwhile at the Palace, Valka and her team had finally found a way out of the passageway. Unfortunately, they were now lost within the Palace. They had placed both Throk and the future Hiccup on the floor.

"This is getting tiresome," said Valka.

Leo nodded in agreement. "It's just one maze after another."

"It's quite a dilemma," Adelaide agreed calmly.

"If I'd only known this was going to happen I could have memorised the castle floorplan," Vala sighed.

"You shouldn't feel bad," said Merrill.

"Master Stoick and the rest of the Guild must be worried sick by now so we need to get out quickly," said Skullcrusher.

"Yeah, we need to tell them about _Eclipse_ and the Hiccup from the future too," Toothless added.

"We also need a make sure that we don't start an international incident or make it any worse," said Valka.

"Let us not forget that we have injured, we don't want to get into a fight," said Cloudjumper.

"Not to mention that our Guild is still in the Grand Magic Games and it's a kingdom sponsored event," Adelaide reminded. "If we go out and take out the Royal Army they may disqualified our Guild from the tournament."

"Considering that we just took down their execution squad, I think it might be too late," said Merrill.

"She does have a point," Toothless nodded. "Technically they weren't actually bad guys, they were just doing their job."

"Still given the circumstances we didn't really have a choice," Stormfly sighed.

"The fact of the matter is that they were sent down there to kill us," said Skullcrusher folding his paws. "I say just taking them out of commission for while was going easy on them."

"I imagine that no matter what we did we would still be considered enemies of the kingdom," said Cloudjumper.

Then the Hiccup from the future began to stir.

"Hey, Hiccup, you feeling any better?" Toothless asked as Hiccup sat up straight.

"Where are we?" he asked.

"Not sure," said Skullcrusher.

"It looks like the castles dining hall," said Adelaide looking around.

"We're still inside the castle?" said Hiccup he then placed his right hand on his forehead as if he had a massive headache. "From what Ruby told me the last time, you guys managed to escape the Palace of Perdition and then ended up getting caught by the Royal Army again. That is why I rushed here as soon as I was able to, I was hoping I could warn you beforehand, but it would seem as if luck is not on my side. To make matters worse you're going to be stuck behind bars before it happens."

"What you mean 'it'?" Toothless frowned.

Hiccup just remain silent.

"So these events are in our immediate future," said Skullcrusher. "Quite ominous indeed."

"At least we know what's coming so we can avoid it," said Valka.

"Yeah, I can't see them being a problem for us," Adelaide nodded.

Hiccup sighed. "While you were making your escape last time, you got too close to the _Eclipse Gate_ as a result you lost your magic power and then you are thrown into a dungeon soon after."

"I see, so that's how they captured us," said Valka rubbing her chin.

Merrill frowned and looked at Hiccup. "So, uh, what made you risk your life and come here from the future?"

"For real, what's this all about? Why did you come back in the first place?" Leo asked.

Hiccup then closes one good eye. "To change the horror of my past."

"What happened there was so that?" Valka asked.

"Tell us maybe we can help and at least you don't have to do it alone," said Vala.

"You won't like what I have to say," he said ominously.

* * *

Meanwhile Mala and Darton was still monitoring the gain from her chambers.

"I still haven't disclosed all the details to you yet," she said and Darton looked at her suspiciously. "And it's far too much for me to comprehend. Pure terror. A swarm of over 10,000 dragons will assail the kingdom, the city will burn, the castle will fall and countless lives will be lost. All those words true, I don't know. Regardless, the decision rests squarely on my shoulders and that the echoes of this one decision will reverberate for the rest of time."


	62. A True Friend

Everyone was looking at the Hiccup from the future as he began to tell them of the impending fate.

"Our worst nightmares are about to come to life, a swarm of more than 10,000 dragons are going to attack the kingdom, the city will burn, the castle will fall and countless lives are going to be lost," he said looking at them.

Everyone just stared at him horrified.

* * *

Elsewhere, Mala just informed Darton of their impending doom and he gulped.

"So were going to be attacked by a swarm of dragons?" he asked.

"That is what I was told, but to be honest I find it hard to believe," said Mala. "I won't believe it until I see how the Grand Magic Games play out."

* * *

In the dining room, Valka was just staring at the future version of her son.

"How is this possible?" she gasped.

"More than 10,000 dragons," said Adelaide rubbing her arm.

"But I thought they were all extinct?" Vala frowned.

"Hey, do you think this has something to do with that dragon grave?" Merrill asked.

"I was wondering that myself," Stormfly frowned.

Skullcrusher pondered. "Well, now that you mention it…"

Ruby looked at Leo. "You think that we would sense that many dragons."

Leo rubbed his chin. "It's possible we haven't noticed them because they're laying low waiting for the perfect time to strike."

"Even despite having some Dragon Slayers within the city, there is no way that we could slay all those dragons at once," said Valka gravely. "We are powerful, but we're not miracle workers."

Hiccup looked at them startled. "You actually believe me?"

"To be honest, we don't know what to believe," said Valka honestly.

"I wouldn't blame you if you didn't," said Hiccup.

"You've never really given me a reason to doubt you," said Ruby looking at him. "And you really need to get it together, don't you think you should have more faith in your friends?"

Hiccup chuckled. "Forgive me, but I haven't had much conversation in my timeline."

Stormfly's eyes widened. ' _Now it's all coming together. The palace crumbling, will be singing inside the castle. Wait, she wasn't singing… she must have been crying, but why? What could have happened?_ '

Stormfly approached Hiccup. "Excuse me, but not mistaken were still inside the castle when the dragons attack. What happens to us?"

Hiccup looked at them gravely which didn't bode well for them.

"I'm scared," said Merrill looking a bit fearful. "I don't think I want to know. I've got a feeling that we won't like announcer."

Valka looked at her future version son. "You don't think that we'll die."

"Oh my," Adelaide gasped.

"Please tell me that's not right," said Toothless looking at Hiccup with a pleading look. "Are we really going to die?"

Vala was shaking a bit from this news. ' _Again I bring misfortune to everyone around me._ '

"It was at the end of the Grand Magic Games, all the Guild were gathered around as the King was about to make an announcement. Then suddenly from out of nowhere the dragons appeared and started to destroy everything in sight. I myself trying to gather as many survivors as they could out of the city and then made my way towards the Palace in the hopes to find you.

"However, as they looked through the rubble I only found Ruby. It took some doing but we were able to escape and found shelter. However, we weren't able to save everyone and that is when we decided to use the _Eclipse Gate_ to make sure this never happened. We had a wait entire year for the dragons to spread out so that he could give us the best chance to get in, but by that time 90% of the population was killed."

Everyone's eyes widened in horror.

"You mean only 10% of people survived in a whole year," said Ruby shaking uncontrollably.

"Even then it was a massive fight against the _Eclipse Gate_ , but Ruby was able to open it. Unfortunately, no one alive you how to work so we had no idea when I be sent, but I was determined to go back in time and warn someone of the impending crisis. It was a desperate move, but we had no other option and suddenly I found myself in July 4th of the year 791."

Leo looked up. "Wait a second, but that was just a few days ago."

"Does that mean it only capable of making small jumps back in time?" Adelaide asked.

Merrill frowned. "But I saw that it was opposed to go back 800 years to defeat Drago."

"Like I said none of us knew how to operate it and we certainly did had time to figure it out," said Hiccup sadly. "We were nearly eaten by a dragon when we got the gate open. I had hoped to go back in time even further, but instead I got three days which meant I had not a whole lot of time."

Throk had been listening to their conversation with great interest. ' _It all makes sense now, this man is the mysterious person from the future who advised the Princess. Something is not right, I can fell it._ '

"If you make it out of the castle you need a rendezvous with Jellal, but be careful because there are lacrimas all over the city monitoring the games," said Hiccup. "That means you need to take an underground route to meet him."

Valka looked at him suspiciously. "How is he involved?"

"I explained everything to him as best I can, I'm sure he's busy coming up with a plan as we speak," said Hiccup.

Ruby looked at him. "Why is he coming up with a plan?"

"Because I was more preoccupied of saving you, but I didn't realise how much of it all the Eclipse Gate did to my already weakened body," said Hiccup. He then looked at them sadly. "I'm not the man I used to be, I have no plan, no strategy."

Everyone just looked at him.

"What you mean weakened body?" Ruby asked.

Hiccup then held out his left hand and to their shock it was now a prosthetic. "I fought with the dragons as best I could, but I was far too weak. I kept on fighting over the year gaining strength, but by then it was far too late. All the elves had already been killed, humans were scattered trying to survive and the dwarves were on the very edge of extinction."

Throk looked at Hiccup suspiciously. ' _Just as I thought_.'

Throk then began to remember a few nights ago when the Princess asked to meet him.

"Princess, did you say from the future?" he said stunned.

"Yes," Mala nodded. "I know it sounds insane, but hear me out. They say that there is another way to use the Gate, they called it an _Eclipse Two_."

Throk frowned at her. "There is? What does it entail?"

"I don't know of your way of this, but for the last seven years we've used against the store magic power with in this Gate. The magic we accumulated within that time is now as powerful as an _Etherion Blast_."

Throk's eyes widened. "What? It's on par with the sacred light of the Viking Council? But it is said that a single _Etherion Blast_ can destroy an entire nation."

"This wealth of magic power is the core the _Eclipse Two_ and we shall unleash it on this swarm of dragons."

Throk just stared at her blankly.

Interest in the present, Throk finally understood the concerns of the Princess, but there was something off.

' _I don't understand, he's got to be the one that told the Princess about the_ Eclipse Two _which means he's lying about knowing more about the_ Eclipse _and arriving on the fourth. Why would he choose to deceive his friends and his mother?_ '

Hiccup sighed. "I failed, I should have found you sooner, but I was at a complete loss on what to do besides just trying to warning you."

"There's no need for you to be sorry, son," said Valka bending down towards him. "I'd like to thank you, you risk your life for us, for our future and I can't be any more proud."

Everyone just smiled.

Valka then rose to her feet. "We're going to find a way to stop them, you just watch."

Hiccup looked at the floor as tears began to form his eyes. "I've been fighting for so long to survive, losing all my friends every single day. I've all but given up hope to see the sky without smoke in the sky, without hearing the cries of those being killed."

* * *

Meanwhile Jellal was having his own problems with recent events. It was now late in the evening and the sun was beginning to set.

"What do you mean it's not necessarily true?" Ultear frowned.

"Oh, come on, you don't honestly think that Hiccup would be lying to us," said Orara sceptically.

"Why would he do such a thing?"

Jellal closes eyes. "More than 10,000 dragons? The Eclipse? That strange magic power? The pieces of the puzzle just don't fit together."

Orara frowned. "What are you saying?"

"That he has some ulterior motive with crafting this version of the future," said Ultear.

"I'm not sure whether this Hiccup's words of false," he said as he opened his eyes. "Or whether his entire being is actually a fabrication."

* * *

Meanwhile in the alley, Rouge was completely worn out with battling against Eret. He himself had got a scratch nor was he tired.

"You still think that I'm not as strong as Hiccup," said Eret looking down at her.

"Rouge, you have to get up," said Skull with a pleading look.

Rogue then laughed.

"What's funny?" Eret asked.

"I always wondered why you decided to join _Dragon Tail_ ," she said. "It's taken me a while, but I think I finally figured out."

"And what conclusion have you come to?" Eret asked.

"You've probably forgotten all about it by now, and I don't blame you because it was such a long time ago," she said and she looked at him. "I was just a kid back then, a fan girl looked up to your Guild, _Phantom Lord_."

Eret was completely taken aback by this.

"As a kid, my biggest dream in life was become a member of the guild when I grew up. Unfortunately, I never got the chance, they were forced to disband when they chose to challenge _Dragon Tail_ and lost. And out of all the Guild you could have joined, you chose the most despicable, you joined _Dragon Tail_.

"I was absolutely heartbroken, I couldn't believe that he would pick the scandal the destroyed _Phantom Lord_. I was so confused, deep down I knew there had to be a reason but I couldn't figure it out for life of me… that is until now. You wanted friends, didn't you?"

A small smile appeared on Eret's face.

"The very notion of friendship doesn't exist in _Sabretooth_ , we won nothing but our Master's foot soldiers, forced to follow his orders or else. If we were defeated, he would make us pay." She then started to remember the words Hiccup had said after he attacked them. "I don't really know what it is like to be in the Guild, because I don't have friends. I'm so lost, I have no idea what been fighting for all this time. I realise that friendship is what makes your guild so powerful, that's why we never measured up. The only exceptions are milady, who's unbelievably strong, and Sting, whose true power will look for Hookfang sake."

Eret shook his head. "You're right in saying that I joined _Dragon Tail_ to have friends. However…" Robed then looked up at him confused. "You're wrong if you think you don't have friends. Aren't you forgetting that Exceed of yours?"

"You mean Skull?" said Rogue getting to her feet.

"You seem to be rather fond of him, I can see it in your eyes," said Eret. "Though you seem to have a hard time believing that the two of you are friends."

A small smile then appeared on Rogue's face as his words reached into her heart. "You know, you're right. Skull is my friend."

Eret smiled as he closed his eyes.

Skull was smiling as well. "Your best friend."

Rogue then closed her eyes. "Thank you for reminding me of that."

' _Rogue_ ,' said a fiendish voice out of nowhere.

Rogue blood then immediately ran cold and he began looking around wildly. ' _Face forward_.' For some reason Rogue felt compelled to obey. ' _That man standing before you, he is your enemy._ '

Eret immediately sensed something opened his eyes and saw Rogue acting odd.

"Where is that voice coming from?" she asked looking around.

"You okay, kid?" Eret asked looking concerned.

' _Rogue_ ,' said the fiendish voice again. ' _You must kill Eret._ '

"Who are you?" Rogue demanded. "And why can't I see you?"

' _You have to kill him, it is your destiny_ ,' said the voice once again.

"Show yourself!"

' _You fool_.'

Rogue immediately sensed something below her and then looked down. To her shock she saw that her shadow was moving strangely. Then oddly enough where her right eye would have been began to glow within the shadow.

' _That's right,_ ' said her shadow. ' _I am your shadow. I'll lend you my strength._ ' Immediately the eye open with a fiendish look anything just glowing smile appeared as well. ' _Now go strike him down._ '

* * *

Meanwhile Valka's team were now running down a secret passageway following Hiccup from the future.

"It's this way," said Hiccup.

"You want to tell us how you knew about this underground path?" Valka asked.

"I spent some time exploring the castle and I know how to get us out of here without being caught," he smiled. "It's the least I can do."

"Well played," said Skullcrusher.

Toothless smile. "I didn't expect anything less."

"We need to hurry and fire the signal flare," said Adelaide.

"Yeah, no kidding," Merrill nodded. "I bet the others are worried sick by now."

They soon exited the passageway and then found themselves in a hallway. However, the moment they got outside soldiers appeared running straight towards them.

"There they are!"

"Capture the fugitives!"

"Let's get them, men!"

Hiccup's eyes widened. "The Royal Army? I swear I didn't know they were stationed here you guys!"

"What do we do?" Ruby asked.

Valka lost her staff firmly. "The only thing we can do, we fight. We may have been unable to avoid a fight, but we were able to avoid getting to the proximity of the Eclipse Gate which means we do not have to worry about our magic being absorbed."

"They don't stand a chance," Leo smiled as he stepped forward.

"We've got a problem," said Merrill. "Captain Throk is missing."

"So has Vala," Adelaide added.

Indeed Throk and Vala had disappeared without a trace.

"What?" Valka stared.

"But they were both right behind us just a second of ago?" Ruby frowned.

"Throk is one thing, but we can't leave Vala," said Adelaide strongly and began to run off down the opposite end of the corridor. "I'm going after her."

"Hey, wait!" Leo yelled.

"We need to stay together!" Ruby cried.

"How come back as soon as I find her!" And I promised.

"We're counting on you, Adelaide," said Valka. She then turned to Leo. "You ready for this?"

Leo smiled. "Born ready."

The guards then charged towards them showing no fear.

"Now men, attack!"

Valka immediately jumped into the air began spinning her staff around and unleashed a powerful tornado that sent them flying. More guards charged, but Leo jumped at them and unleashed a powerful burst of light that sent them backwards.

Merrill was concerned about Adelaide. ' _Please be careful, Adelaide._ '

Ruby was concerned about Vala. ' _I hope Vala is okay._ '

Stormfly on the other hand was in deep confusion. ' _I have a strange feeling… If only there was something I could do._ '

* * *

Meanwhile in the alleyway, within the city, Eret was now starting to get very concerned about Rogue, who was now clutching her head in pain.

"Are you feeling all right?" Eret asked.

' _Go on and kill Eret_ ,' said Rogue's shadow to herself. ' _You must for it is my destiny_.'

Rogue was fighting her own shadow as best as she could, but it was just too strong.

Eret looked at her. "I think you need a doctor."

' _I will lend you my strength_ ,' said her shadow.

Rogue then screamed as she got a massive surge of power entering into her body. She entered the Dragon Force and then dealt a powerful punch at Eret that sent him flying across the ground.

"Eret!" Ruffnut cried.

The crowd was very confused as well.

"What brought that on all of a sudden?"

"I don't know, did he say something to offend her?"

Eret pulled himself up and looked at Rogue. "You do not want to mess with me."

Rogue smiled. "This is the kind of power that we can wield together, Rogue. So let us strike him down without any more hesitation."

Eret eyes widened when he realised that he was no longer talking to Rogue. "Who are you?"

Rogue smiled. "Who am I? One that can control destiny, a shadow."

Eret snorted. "What kind of nonsense are you talking about?"

Rogue and vanished before his eyes and then reappeared in front of him dealing him a powerful kick. Eret was sent flying, but he quickly regained his footing and looked directly at her.

"I don't know what your deal with, but it sounds as if you want to do some real fighting," he said with a small smile on his face. "Bring it on."

Gustav frowned. "I don't understand why they're fighting all of a sudden? I thought they just made peace?"

Stoick eyes narrowed. "There's definitely something strange going on."

"Come on, wipe the floor with that chick!" Ruffnut yelled.

Eret raised his fist. " _Iron Dragon's Sword!_ "

His hand and change into a sword which extended straight towards Rogue. However, before it struck as he turned into a shadow began moving down the sword and the next second who experience a massive torrent of shadow.

" _Shadow Dragon's Waxwing Flash!_ " said Rogue.

Eret then fell to the ground.

"This is awful!" Ruffnut cried.

"That's not Rogue," said Skull's eyes widened.

Eret picked himself up and found that she was gone. "Where did she go?"

"Right behind you," said Rogue's voice. Eret turned around and saw that broke it somehow emerged with his own shadow. " _Shadow Dragon's Slash!"_

Instantly Eret was being bombarded with a large amount of shadows.

Stoick looked at Hiccup the First. "What's happening, First Master?"

"He's been possessed by someone or something," said Hiccup the First.

Eret was now trying to hit Rogue, but he kept on melting into shadow before his punches could land a hit. Then quickly attack him and turned back into shadow before he could counter-attack.

"What?" Gustav stared. "But Eret grabbed him in shadow form yesterday?"

"It's almost as if her magic is changing," said Fishlegs.

Hiccup the First's face was grim. ' _Her magic, it's incredibly evil power. In all my years, the only one who had seen could conjure such evil magic was Drago._ '

Eret was grasping his shoulder looking at Rogue was smiling evilly at him.

"Rogue was right, you're not nearly as strong as Hiccup Haddock," Rogue smirked.

"That's what you think," said Eret.

"I merely speaking the truth, not that Hiccup Haddock is any match for me."

* * *

Meanwhile on the outskirts of the city, Jellal looked up as he sensed something within the city and judging from the looks of the others they sensed it as well.

"Do you feel that power?" Ultear asked.

"I definitely do," Orara nodded.

"It's coming from the city."

"Calm down," said Jellal calmly. "The future Hiccup has been causing the fighting so we must tread carefully. As long as Valka's group is with him there's no need to act rashly."

Valka's team were currently engaged with the Royal Army and the beating them quite candidly.

"Careful, Ruby," said Skullcrusher, who was in his battle form and wielding his _Musica Sword_.

"I'll be fine," she assured.

Merrill then unleashed a powerful tornado of water washing away more soldiers.

"These kids are a lot stronger than I thought they were," the guard.

"Better call the anti-magic squad."

"We can't let these brats get the best of us!"

Leo was the midst of unleashing powerful kicks and punches with golden light and Ruby had summoned Virgo who was drilling into the ground taking down the soldiers from below. Toothless and Cloudjumper were in their battle forms as well doing battle against the soldiers with hand-to-hand combat and defeating them quite easily.

Valka had just tossed a soldier into a squad of other soldiers when she was blasted in the back. Directly behind her were soldiers holding magic staffs.

"Direct hit," said one of them.

"Waves two and three, be prepared to fire."

"Did they just use magic?" Stormfly stared.

"It certainly looked like it," said Toothless. "There must be some sort of specialised unit."

The smoke then began to clear and Valka just stood there completely unfazed. "You manage to catch me offguard," she said impressively as he turned to face them. "However, you should focus more on strengthening your magic."

The soldiers gasped upon seeing this result.

"It had no effect on her!"

"Who the heck is she?"

Valka spun her staff around with a smile on her face. "I'm Valka Haddock, an S-Class Viking and a Sky Dragon Slayer."

* * *

Meanwhile, Rogue was now grasping Eret's throat and lifted him off his feet. He was choking as she began squeezing with an evil smile on her face.

"It's hard to believe that I once looked up to you. How pathetic," she smirked.

"She's going to end up killing him if she doesn't let go! Eret!" Ruffnut panicked.

Skull had left the stands and was now flying through the corridors with his angel like wings. "I've got to help her!" he said with a panicked look on his face. "I have to save her before it's too late."

Rogue was merely enjoying herself. "It won't be too long until the shadows have eating you away. Once they had their fill this world will be free of you." She then released her grip upon Eret and he collapsed to the ground. Immediately shadows began to consume him commanded by road herself. "Soon you will vanish, forced to sleep in eternal darkness."

Eret then smiled. "If Hiccup can do it then so can I."

Then immediately he began to absorb the shadows around him much to the surprise of all.

"What?" Rogue stared. Her eyes widened as Eret sat up. "What have you done?"

Ruffnut just stared openmouthed. "No way, he ate the shadows."

"He's doing the same thing that Hiccup did with my lightning," Alvin stared.

"That one of the most impressive feats I've seen," said Stoick in awe.

"Used his power to consume and absorb the shadow," said Hiccup the First.

"I don't know who you are, but you better get out of her body or else," Eret warns as dark shadows covered his body.

Rogue then narrowed her eyes. "You want me to leave, Rogue?"

"Do you have wax in your ears or should that be in Rogue's ears?" said Eret as he stood up. "Yes I want you to leave his body spirit and I'll do whatever it takes to free." Rogue then slowly began to back away fearfully. "You can say that you look up to me all you want, but you know as well as I do that ain't the truth. I was in that kind of guy back then, be honest with yourself, you didn't look up to me you feared me."

"I was never afraid," said Rogue dismissively.

Suddenly Eret's body started turning to iron, but unlike normal it began to darken as shadows covered the iron.

"Maybe you forgot, because I'm such a nice guy these day, but I'll make you remember your fear," Eret smirked evilly.

Eret was now covered in head to toe in iron as dark as shadow, his eyes were pure white, he wore a fiendish looking smile and his body was covered in a shadow aura.

Rogue just stared open eyed at him. "I don't believe it. An Iron Shadow Dragon!"


	63. Dragon Fire

Rogue was just staring in disbelief as she saw Eret transformed into an Iron Shadow Dragon.

"Iron and shadow?" Rogue stared. "How?"

Eret smiled evilly.

"It's clear that he's taken a leaf out of Hiccup's book," said Stoick.

Hiccup the First nodded. "It makes sense, Hiccup created the technique it was only a matter of time before others followed his lead."

"If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes I would never have believed it," said Fenris folding his arms.

"Oh man, that guy is like a freaking monster now!" Dogsbreath cried.

"Well, he's always had it in him, hasn't he?" Rubbella shrugged.

The crowd was going wild for Eret.

"Odin's beard, I have never seen anything like this in my life," Agnar stared. He then turned to Johann. "Mr Johann, where do you think the match will go from here?"

"I'm afraid I couldn't tell you," said Johann. " _Dragon Slayers_ do generally defy all logic and common sense in my opinion."

"That's true, and don't forget that Rogue is a _Third-Generation Dragon Slayer_ ," Mindor reminded. "I think that this site is just getting started."

Rogue regained her composure and shadow immediately flowed around her hand. "It is impressive, but still… I have to strike you down."

Eret then quickly made the first move and Rogue swung a fist of shadow straight at him. However, Eret then vanished right before her faster than she could blink.

"He's gone," Rubbella stared.

"No, he became a shadow," said Fenris.

Fenris was right at the last second, Eret had turned into a shadow was now swirling around the ground and reached one of the pillars.

Naturally this angered Rogue. "How dare you use my magic against me." She then began to sense for Rogue and sends him directly behind her. "Predictable."

She then swung a shadow fist at him, but found nothing behind her. Eret had somehow managed to appear directly behind her and then slammed an iron club into her back. She quickly merged with the shadows and Eret quickly chased after her with in the shadows.

"Whoa, that's incredible!" Agnar cried.

"So now we've got to watch two shadows fight?" said Dogsbreath.

"That's a bit confusing," Rubbella frowned.

"It's practically impossible to tell them apart," said Fenris.

That prediction was proven true as the two shadows began to clash with one another.

"Things have certainly gotten more interesting," Mindor smiled.

"It is certainly keeping us on our toes," Johann nodded.

Agnar just looked at the screen wildly. "How will I be able to do a play-by-play on something I can't even say? Sorry folks, all that I can say is that something crazy is going on."

Both Rogue and Eret were now swirling around the pillars making their way onto the roof of a building. Once the shadows appear to be running away, but the one behind it was closing in fast.

Fenris turned to Dogsbreath. "Dogsbreath, can you say anything?"

Dogsbreath removed his helmet so that he could read their souls to tell which shadow was who. "Well, it's kind of tough to make out their souls on the monitor… but I think Eret is the faster one I think. Probably."

"Probably?" Rubbella asked questionably.

One of the shadows had finally caught up with the other and was moving quite fast. Then Eret's arm emerged from the quicker shadow and reached into the other one.

Rogue was within that shadow and her eyes widened. "No!" she cried as Eret pulled her out of the shadow. ' _He's pulling me out of my shadow_.'

Now the two combatants were now chest high in the shadow and Eret then dealt Rogue a powerful iron covered fist. The impact was strong enough to send her flying out of her shadow and Eret then struck again straight through the ceiling.

The moment Rogue touched the ground she immediately transformed into shadow and began to run. Eret landed on the ground a few seconds later and then he too turned into a shadow and began to gave chase. He then grabbed the shadow and soon the two of them are merged into the real world.

As Eret grabbed hold of her head, though just looked down at him in shock. ' _I never imagined he would be this powerful_.'

"Say good night!" Eret yelled and tossed Rogue right through the ceiling. He then began taking a deep breath. " _Iron Shadow Dragon's Roar!_ "

Eret then unleashed combination of iron and shadow into one single attack. The attack was so strong that it by the pillow right into the sky which could be seen for miles around and Rogue screams could be heard from within the powerful attack.

Everyone was completely breathless upon seeing that display of power. It had been so powerful that the dust from the ceiling of the building they were fighting spread across the city. Rogue then landed on the ground, unable to move.

Eret was now completely exhausted and reverted back to his original form. Hiccup had been completely exhausted during his battle with Hela after unleashing that amount of power, it was like that he was still conscious.

"Uh… well, I guess that's it," said Agnar, who try to process what just happened. "The fight is over!"

The crowd then cheered.

"The winner is Eret!" Agnar announced.

"I can't believe what just happened," said Mindor in disbelief.

Johann smiled. "That was absolutely riveting."

1st Sabretooth: 55P

2nd Dragon Tail: 51P

3rd Thor's Hammer: 49P

"So that victory gives _Dragon Tail_ one more point for a total of 51!" Agnar announced.

" _Sabretooth_ is still in the lead with 55 points, but a few more losses and it could be over," said Mindor.

Rogue was lying down in the crumbling archway and Eret could hear the laughter of the shadow that possessed Rogue.

"I suppose I expected too much from Rogue as he is now," it said.

Eret watched as the shadow exited from Rogue's body and slivered away laughing as it did so.

"I wonder what that was about?" he frowned.

"Is she all right?" said a voice.

Eret looked down and saw Skull kneeling next to the unconscious Rogue. Eret immediately sat down still completely exhausted.

"I don't know what took over her, but it's gone now," he said.

"Skull," said Rogue's weak voice.

Skull turned and immediately rushed over to her, "Rogue! You're okay!"

"Of course I am," she said rubbing the back of his head.

"You frightened me to death."

Eret merely smiled. "Nice to see that you're back to normal."

Rogue and realise that she was flat on her back on the floor and in extreme pain. "Wait, why am I in pain? I lost, didn't I?"

Eret frowned. ' _She doesn't remember the fight. That shadow… something weird is going on._ '

"Another intense _Dragon Slayer_ battle in this year's Grand Magic Games!" Agnar cried.

"That was certainly strange and unexpected, I have a feeling the fans will be talking about this one for quite some time," said Mindor.

Johann nodded in agreement. "It was a battle for the history books, that's for sure."

Stoick smiled. "Yes. We are definitely on a role now, wouldn't you say First Master?"

"We are," he nodded. However, he had something else on his mind at the time. ' _It's troubling, that evil shadow, a magic I have never witnessed before not since the Dragon Wars._ '

* * *

Meanwhile in the Palace, soldiers were charging at Valka and the others, but they were being completely overwhelmed by their power.

" _Sky Dragon's Wind Slice!_ " Valka yelled unleashing powerful splashes of wind from her staff at the soldiers.

" _Regulus Impact!_ " Leo yelled unleashing a burst of golden light from his hand.

" _Sea Dragon's Roar!_ " Merrill yelled unleashing her breath attack.

"We need reinforcements here!" a guard yelled.

"They're coming from sector seven and eight!"

"Outnumbering them is our only chance!"

More soldiers came charging towards them.

"Let's get them!"

"For the Princess!"

"Let's teach them a lesson!"

Ruby and Hiccup were now fighting back to back.

"Can't you use your magic?" Ruby asked.

"Not in this closed space," said Hiccup. "My power has become very overwhelming, using it in such a fine space could end up destroying the Palace."

Ruby blinked. "You're serious?"

"You'll be amazed how much power a _Dragon Slayer_ can get from one year of training, especially when they're trying to survive."

"Let's try and not make things worse," said Stormfly looking around wildly.

Toothless punch a soldier in the face. "I think it might be a bit late for that."

Cloudjumper nodded in agreement after he dealt a powerful spinning kick onto a soldier. "Indeed, things are starting to get out of hand."

"We just have to keep writing," said Skullcrusher.

Then suddenly he felt himself sinking into the floor and saw that it was melting away.

"Get down!" he yelled.

Toothless grabbed Stormfly and he, Cloudjumper and Skullcrusher jumped out of the way just in time to avoid getting hit by a wave of acid. They turned and found that standing there, battered and bruised was Ake.

He smiled at them. "Going somewhere, huh?"

"Not him again," said Toothless.

"An executioner," Stormfly panicked.

Cloudjumper looked frustrated. "This is getting tiresome."

Skullcrusher narrowed his eyes. "Did you learn your lesson the last time?"

Ake laughed. "I still got a job to do, pussycats."

Merrill barely managed to dodge as throne covered vines struck the ground she was standing on a few seconds ago. She turned and found standing there was Cosmos.

"Hey, there cutie," she smiled. "It's good to see you again, but this will be the last time."

Ruby and Hiccup watched as purple paper flew around them.

"I did not foresee this," said Hiccup.

"Horrible timing," Ruby moaned.

Suddenly appearing in front of them was Alfhild. "You are forced to think that you had best in the kingdom's mightiest executioners."

Cosmos then stood at her side. "Very foolish."

Alfhild smiled upon seeing a member of the party had left them. ' _And the Demon is no longer with them._ '

"Now don't we have a fine catch," Magnus smiled as he walked up towards them with a firm grasp on his fishing rod.

"Guild Vikings," said Calder's voice and Valka watched as he approached him with a firm grip on his two scythes. "I understand compels you, but I must carry out my obligation to the court. For your crimes against the kingdom, I will be collecting your head."

Valka narrowed her eyes. "You failed once, what makes you think you can succeed now?"

* * *

Meanwhile in a corridor many guard are running to the disturbance within the other side of the castle.

"We need to hurry!"

"The _Hungry Wolf Hunters_ have joined the battle!"

"That's great news!"

"Keep moving!"

"Right!"

Unbeknownst to the guards in a room, Throk were strapping on white armour. He soon placed a helmet on top of his head and made his way out of the room. The soldier standing guard of the hallway turned and saw him approaching them much to their surprise.

"Captain Throk?"

"What are you doing here?"

"I thought you were thrown into the dungeon for treason? Did you escape?"

Throk ignored these questions and looked at him strongly. "Where is the Princess?" The soldiers just stared at him and then he gave them a look chilled them to the bone. "I'm ordering you to tell me."

"Sir, she's on the top floor," said the soldier.

They then watched as Throk walked away down into the corridor completely bewildered and confused. However, majority of the guards were focusing upon his armour which was as white as snow.

"You see what is wearing?"

"Yeah, It's the Defender of the Wing armour."

"It's meant for combat."

Throk was remembering the conversation he had with the Princess when she explained the workings of the _Eclipse Gate_ and about her adviser from the future. He then remembered the conversation from Hiccup of the future to his friends.

' _I need to clear up something is troubling me_ ,' he said to himself. ' _What I saw… was surely not the tears of a liar. If anyone's not telling the truth it's the Princess._ '

* * *

Meanwhile the Games were continuing as if nothing was wrong and were finally reaching the end game.

"We're down to the final three teams at this year's Grand Magic Games," Agnar announced.

" _Sabretooth_ is holding the lead with 55 points, _Dragon Tail_ is on their heels with 51 points and _Thor's Hammer_ slings and a third with 49 points," Mindor announced.

"Eret just scored _Dragon Tail's_ first point in this round with his win against Rogue," said Johann.

Mindor nodded. "Yes that's true, but _Sabretooth_ still has Sting and Minerva in play and they are the strongest of their Guild."

"Speaking on, where is Sting anyway?" Agnar frowned.

"Where ever he is, I'm sure he has some kind of plan in mind," said Johann.

In the ruined Park, Astrid was facing against Minerva, though her chances weren't in her favour. Minerva wasn't injured at all and Astrid's right leg was heavily damaged possibly even broken. Despite the injuries she was holding her battleaxe with a firmed grip.

"Damn you," Astrid glared with immense hatred.

Minerva just smiled confidently. "You will be next to fall Astrid and without injury of yours it may prove to be somewhat easy."

Minerva's hand then began to glow and then suddenly Astrid herself being flung into the air by an invisible force. She looked down and saw that her first was now glowing and Minerva was pulling the strings. She then began to slam after against the stone pillars surrounding them with a sinister smile on her face.

"Astrid!" Rubbella cried.

"How is this even possible?" Dogsbreath stared.

"That injury must be worse than we thought," Fenris analysed.

Astrid then landed on the floor battered and bruised all over her body. Camicazi and Neria could only watch as Astrid fell feeling completely helpless.

"That's gotta hurt," said Agnar. "Freyja is dropped to the ground like a ton of bricks. Minerva is just clean brutal."

"Remove a dragon's fire and you will witness a pathetic creature," Minerva sneered. "I suppose I should just put you out of your misery." She then raised her hand which then began to glow. "Your life will be ending here Freyja."

Stoick gritted his teeth. "No! You have to get up Astrid!"

* * *

Elsewhere in the city both Ragnar and Lyon were doing it out ice against ice.

"This is the most intense final-round I have ever seen and it's not letting up," said Agnar as he turned his attention upon that screen. "Looks like we've got an _Ice Magic_ battle over here!"

Lyon places hands together. "You're not as skilled as I am, but you are persistent."

Ragnar then did the same with his hands. "You still don't think I've got any skills, huh? Check this out."

Lyon then unleashed a barrage of ice eagle directly at Ragnar, who quickly dodged them. "Heather!"

Heather was at that moment in the water. "Ready," she said and extended her hands forward. " _Water Nebula!_ "

She then unleashed a massive burst of water began to surround Ragnar as he prepared to unleash his magic.

" _Ice-Make: Shotgun!_ " Ragnar yelled.

The water in front of him thence started to freeze and a brief second later he unleashed a massive amount of ice shards directly at Lyon. However, they were suddenly blocked by a storm of black water.

" _Sea God's Dance!_ " Shanyla cried appearing out of nowhere.

"Good job, Shanyla," Lyon acknowledged.

Shanyla looked at him. "Why the heck are you just standing there?"

Lyon ignored the question turned his eyes away. "Now Ragnar, you would really stoop so low to use my loves magic against me?" He then glared at Ragnar with immense hatred. "You'll pay for that."

Shanyla looked at him annoyed. "Are you insane?"

Lyon slammed his hands together. "Heather would never align herself with a scumbag like you."

Ragnar blinked. "Huh?"

Shanyla shook her head. "Get your head in the game!"

" _Ice-Make: Water Serpent!_ " Lyon yelled unleashing his magic.

Immediately forming above them was a large snakelike creature made of ice. Immediately it dive down towards Ragnar sending him flying.

"Oh no, Ragnar!" Heather cried.

Shanyla looked at Heather and then to Lyon. "Hey, don't forget were fighting her too!"

"I'm leaving that to you," said Lyon. "Careful, you're not allowed to hurt her."

Shanyla looked as if she wanted to hurt him. "What?"

Heather just stared at Lyon's power. "Lyon's powerful, really had no idea."

Ragnar smiled. "Yeah, but he totally sucks at teamwork." He then places hands together. "Let's use that to our advantage."

"This match is turning into a two on two battle!" Agnar cried. "What are your thoughts Mr Johann."

"I feel as if this battle is more personal which means this will be more exciting," Johann smiled.

"You're not kidding," Mindor nodded.

"Indeed, Shanyla is jealous of Heather, Lyon has a massive crush on Heather, Ragnar has a massive rivalry with Lyon and to top it all off I think that both Ragnar and Heather have feelings of each other," said Agnar.

Johann looked him. "And you just the entire kingdom."

The entire audience then laughed.

* * *

Meanwhile the guard were watching as the executioners were dealing with the _Dragon Tail Guild_ in awe. The executioners had switched opponents from last time Magnus was doing battle with Valka.

" _Terrain Effect: Scorching Wind Zone!_ " Magnus yelled unleashing a hot breeze towards Valka.

Valka managed to endure the attack and remain completely calm. "The temperature of the wind has no effect upon me."

"Oh," said Magnus.

Valka then began spinning her staff around unleashing a massive tornado.

"Uh-oh," said Magnus raising to fingers. " _Terrain Effect: Iceberg Zone!_ "

Immediately forming in front of him were icebergs which were used as a powerful wind barrier deflecting Valka's attack.

"I admit, your magic is impressive, but it won't stop me," said Valka.

* * *

Ake was battling against Merrill and had unleashed a burst of acid at her. Fortunately she was able to jump out of the way before it struck her.

"Watch out, that acid is going to eat you alive," Ake smirked. Merrill then landed on the ground and he looked at her with great interest. "I hear you're a _Dragon Slayer_ too little girl."

"Yes, I am," said Merrill looking at him with a firmed expression. "Why do you care?"

Ake then slammed his fist into the ground unleashing a column of acid.

Merrill, however, was able to wash away with a powerful wave of water. " _Sea Dragon's Tidal Wave!_ "

Ake laughed. "You're making this extra fun for me."

Alfhild was facing against Ruby and was holding out some red paper.

" _Paper Blizzard: Red Dance!_ " she yelled unleashing a barrage of red paper which immediately burst into flames.

Ruby quickly pulled out Scorpio's key. " _Open! Gate of the Scorpion! Scorpio!_ "

Immediately appearing out of nowhere was Scorpio. "I've got this." He then unleashed a storm of sand from his tail which doused the flames. "Wicked!"

Alfhild immediately unleashed a barrage of yellow paper which unleashed a burst of lightning. "The yellow paper holds the spirit of lightning!"

" _Sand Wall!_ " Scorpio yelled and immediately a wall of sand appeared in front of him blocking the lightning bolts.

Alfhild smiled. "I can't believe I'm fighting a spirit. This is a dream come true."

Leo on the other hand was trying to impress Cosmos with his charm.

"Your name's Cosmos, right?" he said rubbing her shoulder. "You know I'm more really a lover than a fighter. We should get to know each other."

He was then struck by a monstrous plant and Cosmos looked at him with disdain. "First of I find men like you completely revolting. Your very existence only ship and is true beauty. You should just die!"

Leo picked himself up. "I see, they like to play a little hard to get, do you?" He then straightened his tie and looked at her with a smile. "I understand and this is so sudden."

Cosmos glared at him. "You don't get it!"

Leo hands then began to glow. "Perhaps I should sweeten the deal, I have a couple of presents for ya."

"And I've got the perfect thing for you," she said as he traded her throne covered vines with spores and then fired straight at him. " _Spore Bomb!_ "

The soldiers just watched on in awe as he saw the executioners doing battle with _Dragon Tail_.

"Whoa, the _Wolf Hunters_ are awesome!"

"Let's get in there and fight with them!"

"Not happening," said Skullcrusher as he swung his _Musica Sword_ knocking them back.

Then jumping straight towards him was Calder who raised the scythe in his right hand. Fortunately, Skullcrusher blocked it with his _Musica Sword_. Immediately the two of them were in a massive fight as blade struck against blade.

Both Toothless and Cloudjumper were fighting the soldiers in hand-to-hand combat and were mopping the floor with them.

"We'll handle the soldiers," said Toothless.

"You deal with him," said Cloudjumper.

"You can count on the," Skullcrusher nodded.

Calder looked directly at him. "I've heard about you, the rumours say you used to be a soldier, but you deserted. Why did you shirk your sacred duty?"

Skullcrusher merely narrowed his eyes at him and the two of them jumped apart from one another. "Someone like you will never understand what happened!"

Calder merely smiled. "Let me guess, you felt that your kingdom has lost its moral compass."

"Bite your tongue executioner!" He then charged straight towards him. "I will not tolerate you insulting Edolas!"

He then jumped and raised his _Musica Sword_ preparing to strike.

Calder smiled at him. "Come."

He then blocked the attack.

Hiccup himself was engaging the soldiers and was fighting without using magic. Despite this he was easily able to push back the soldiers that attacked him with immense strength.

"This guy is stronger and not even using his magic," said a soldier.

"The question is why?"

Hiccup merely stood there in silence taking up a fighting stance and saw his mother exhausted from fighting Magnus.

"What's the matter?" Magnus smirked. "Too much for ya? You look plum tuckered out."

Valka stood up straight and narrowed her eyes. "It doesn't matter how I feel and I don't care how many of you I have to fight. We're going to get out of here, end of story. You can keep getting in our way and slowing us down, but you are never going to start _Dragon Tail_!"

Valka then ran towards him spinning her staff around.

* * *

Meanwhile everyone is watching as the confrontation between Hiccup and Orga had got interrupted by the arrival of Jura.

"Hold on, we've got a number Viking joining the party folks," said Agnar.

"If the Viking Lord Jura Rockfist," Mindor said. "This is going to be earthshattering."

Jura smiled at the two of them. "I hope you don't mind me interrupting your fight, but this was too good an opportunity to pass up."

Hiccup smiled. "I was wondering when you would show."

Ursula chuckled. "This is going to be good. _Thor's Hammer_ won this whole stinking tournament the moment Jura was chosen to participate. Those two little babies he just walked up to don't stand a chance against him."

Ashelin nodded. "I wouldn't want to be them that's for sure."

"But it ain't fair!" Torn yelled.

"Way to keep your cool."

Ursula narrowed her eyes at him. "You lost big time, I'll spin you."

Immediately Torn found himself spinning like a top. "You are spitting me!" he yelled.

In the Plaza the three powerhouse Vikings were looking at one another without even blinking.

Hiccup frowned. ' _He's not fooling around_.'

Alvin folding his arms and looked at Stoick. "I have as much faith in the boy as you, but I do not like his chances."

Gobber nodded. "Hiccup had some tough fights, but this might be the toughest yet."

Stoick just remain quiet.

Orga was the first to step up. "All right, come in and enjoy the party. I would love to see you fight for real." He then places hands together and immediately dark lightning emerging between the palms. "Let's see if you got the stones to stop this."

Jura looked at him intrigued. "Oh?"

"I'm going to give you a taste of my full power old man," said Orga confidently. "Let's answer the question on everyone's mind. Whose magic is stronger? A Viking Lord or a God Slayer? Are you up for the challenge?"

Everyone just waited in bated breath as Orga had just challenged Jura.

Orga appeared to be confident of his abilities. "You can walk away. Is that Viking Lord titled just for show?"

Jura smiled as he closed his eyes. "I'll play."

Orga smiled clearly believing that he could take down Jura.

Hiccup on the other hand was quite dubious. ' _He walked right into his trap_.'

Ashelin eyes widened. "He's actually falling for that?"

"Don't do it!" Torn yelled.

Ursula then began to spin the two of them. "Shut up or I'll spin you."

"You are spinning me!" they yelled.

"Here goes, _Lightning God Dark Particle Cannon!_ " Orga yelled unleashing a burst of black lightning.

Jura just stood there and suddenly there was a big collisional power as black lightning shot up into the sky in all directions. Jura had moved so fast that no one saw him move and slammed Orga head right into the ground with a single palm. The impact caused Orga to fire his attack at the tower destroying the top of it.

Everyone just stared open eyed as Jura had just taken Orga down in one hit.

Jura looked down at the unconscious Orga. "I remember you now. You've fought on the very first day of the games, that fight ended with one blow was well."

The crowd had recovered from their shock and were now cheering the Viking Lord.

1st Sabretooth: 55P

2nd Dragon Tail: 51P

3rd Thor's Hammer: 50P

"And with that devastating facepalm, _Thor's Hammer_ trails _Dragon Tail_ by one point," said Agnar.

Stoick was now looking very concerned. "I don't know if Hiccup can match such power."

Gustav looked at Stoick. "Don't say that! If anyone can beat Jura it's Hiccup!"

Jura then turned his attention upon Hiccup, who just stood there unmoving. "Now that's done."

Hiccup remain completely emotionless.

Ursula chuckled to herself. "You should just pack it in Stoick, a lot happened in the past seven years that you were gone. Namely Jura rose to number five among the Viking Lords."

Ashelin nodded. "Yeah, and the four above him our totally impossible to beat."

Ursula narrowed her eyes. "How dare you mention them, I'll spin you!"

Ashelin then found himself spinning like a top. "You are spinning me!"

"The Four Emperors, none of them are human which means Jura is the most powerful human Viking, he won't lose."

Hiccup the First looked upon the screen gravely. "Jura Rockfist, the one who gave me the most exciting in this final battle."

Stoick folded his arms. "There's nothing I can do now, son. Just watch and pray for the best."

Jura was now approaching Hiccup. "I had been hoping I would get the opportunity to spar with you. I take it that you're the team leader for your guild?"

Hiccup sighed. "You figured out, huh?"

Jura chuckled. "You are the one that has been leading your team since the very beginning."

"Then looks like it's going to be a battle between team leaders, assuming that you are the team leader," said Hiccup as he pulled out _Inferno_ and set it ablaze.

Jura nodded. "Let us you have the makings of becoming a Guild Master."

The two of them just stood there waiting and Hiccup immediately covered himself in flames and charged at Jura with _Inferno_ firmly in hand.

Jura slammed his hands together and just as Hiccup swung he slammed his fist right on top of him ploughing him into the ground much to the shock of his Guild and Ursula merely smiled.

"Whoa, the might of the Viking Lord struck!" Agnar cried. He then looked to the other announcers who were completely speechless. "Man, taken out in a single blow."

"I'm at a loss for words," Johann stared.

"He squashed him," said Mindor.

"Well, uh… that's one way to put it," said Agnar.

Jura looked at Hiccup. "In this world there is always someone above you."

"Yeah," said Hiccup as he picked himself up. Then suddenly both flames and lightning began to cover his body. "You're right about that. But what you seem to have forgotten is a pay close attention to those beneath your feet!"

Hiccup then slammed a powerful uppercut with a mixture of fire and lightning knocking the Viking Lord back.


	64. Gloria

Mala and Darton were still watching the games and knew that it was almost over.

"The games are nearly at an end, Princess," said Darton.

Mala nodded. "Yes. And as I watched the action my sources words hold me even more, I fear their true."

"I take it you still haven't changed your mind. If this time traveller prophecy turned out to be true where you activate the _Eclipse Two Project_?"

"Trust me, I did make this choice lightly." Darton then turned towards her. "At first I didn't want to believe it, but as time went by I wondered. Do I really believe they're wrong? Or am I just afraid?"

Darton nodded. "Understandable, given the horror of the prediction."

"Yes, I know, I feel as if this is the only way to decide our course. If this final match and as they foretold I will take it as proof as they do possess knowledge of the future."

"Meaning the claim that the swarm of dragons will destroy the Kingdom of Septem is also true. For all our sakes, I hope they'll wrong."

"For now let's watch as the battle unfolds so too with the future we face."

* * *

In the park, Camicazi was now unconscious, but Neria was still awake, though she was too weak to move. However, she felt something fuzzy moving underneath her cloak.

"Why do I feel like something fuzzy is stuck to me?" she asked weakly.

* * *

Meanwhile Hiccup had just struck Jura with a fist covered in fire and lightning. He now stood there as his body was now consumed by fire and lightning and his expression was being.

Upon seeing that strike the entire crowd cheered, but the members of _Thor's Hammer_ just stared in bewilderment.

"What the?" Ursula stared.

 _Dragon Tail_ joined the crowd with their cheers.

Fenris looked at Alvin. "Using your lightning."

Alvin smiled. "So he is."

Agnar just stared in bewilderment. "What just happened?"

"It would appear as if Hiccup has the ability to use two attributes himself," said Johann looking intrigued. "It appears that he is able to use a combination of fire and lightning and had until this moment kept in reserve."

"Now that quiet tactic," said Mindor. "It has certainly put Jura off balance."

Jura managed to regain his footing and smiled at Hiccup powerful attack. He then thrusted his hand forward and immediately the ground beneath Hiccup shot him into the air.

" _Lightening Flame Dragon Plasma Barrage!_ " Hiccup yelled slamming his hands together.

Immediately he launched the larger plasma blast that were covered in electricity.

" _Talus!_ " Jura yelled immediately stone columns appeared in front of him.

Hiccup's attack slammed into then creating massive explosions, but none of them had gotten anywhere close to Jura. Hiccup landed in the dust and immediately took off like a rocket straight towards Jura. He then slammed a fist covered in fire and lightning at Jura, who blocked it and somehow was able to withstand both fire and lightning.

"Take this!" said Jura trustee his hand forward.

Hiccup watched as more stone columns erupted from the ground and he immediately jumped from column to column and then uses momentum to charge at Jura with full force. However, Jura dealt a powerful and he countered with a powerful punch to the face.

Jura smiled as he blocked Hiccup's forward jab and leaned back to dodge his spin kick which was aimed for his head. He then slammed a powerful punch right into his face and the crowd just stared as Hiccup went toe to toe with Jura.

"Hiccup is on par with a Viking Lord."

"You're surprised? He did defeat the _Twin Dragon_ is all by himself."

Stoick looked on proudly. "That's my boy!"

Hiccup the First smiled. "He has certainly become powerful, remind you he is your son. All of your charges will keep growing and soon a new error will begin from _Dragon Tail_."

Hiccup regained his footing and charged with a fist covered in fire and lightning and slammed it into the ground creating a massive tornado of fire and lightning.

"Excellent!" Jura yelled completely unfazed by the attack. "I'm absolutely thrilled!" Hiccup looked up and breathed heavily. "I haven't felt this alive in years! Colour me impressed."

Hiccup smiled. "The same could be said for me, you're even more powerful than the stories say. However, I'm not gonna let that stop me. There was too much riding upon my victory and I'm not going to lose to anyone, not even you!"

* * *

Meanwhile in the Palace, the Hiccup and the future had finally grown tired of all the fighting.

"This has gone on long enough, it's time to finish this," he said furiously.

Soldiers charged at him and then suddenly they heard a massive surge of heat emerging from his body.

"The heat!"

"It's too strong!"

The heat could be filled by the others close by and it was unbearable for them as well.

"Such power," said Ruby sweating.

"No wonder you holding back," said Valka. "Because I think you use a fraction of his power."

"A fraction?" Ruby stared. She then looked back at Hiccup. "Just how powerful has he become?"

Hiccup then unleashed a powerful burst of flames that knocked about half the soldiers away. Alfhild and Cosmos then placed themselves in front of him.

Hiccup looked at him. "I'd stand down if I were you, because nothing is going to stop me from completing my mission."

* * *

Meanwhile in the park, Astrid was picking herself up, she was greatly wounded and exhausted. Minerva on the other hand looked thrilled at her discomfort.

"That looks like it hurts," she smiled. "I doubt you can stand up."

Despite the injury on her leg, Astrid slowly got to her feet. "It's just as I told Camicazi. This is one fight I can't afford to lose, I will keep getting up until you stay down! Your fate is sealed, out of all the Guild you could have declared war on you chose _Dragon Tail_ and that never ends well."

"Let go of that that anger, it's a bad for you," Minerva advised.

"You tormented my friends, Ruby, Camicazi, Neria and you took pleasure in it! I'm past the point of anger!"

Minerva smirked. "Is that supposed to frighten me, then you're more Polish than I thought."

Minerva then outstretched hand and immediately inform appeared next to Astrid followed by a series of explosions. Astrid bounced off using her right foot to dodge them, but she was unable to dodge the third explosion behind her. Minerva then started creating more explosions around her.

"You can't escape my _Spatial Magic_. As long as I can see you, I can blow you to pieces!"

Astrid kept on dodging the explosions using her right foot to move.

"Run, Astrid," Neria pleaded.

Neria could only watch as Minerva unleashed explosions relentlessly at Astrid.

"She's doing more than swapping pockets of space," Athessa noted.

"Her magic is changing the properties of space itself," Babs stared.

"The ultimate Guild deserves no less than the ultimate magic. Territory," Minerva smirked thinking that he had taken Astrid down.

However, launching out of the dust was Astrid wielding a pair of daggers. She immediately struck Minerva, who barely had time to block the attack.

"You missed me," said Astrid.

Minerva was now in rage and extended her hands which then began to glow. She then stared to swing punches and Astrid, but he dodged every single one of them and then she struck again with her blades. Minerva was now furious and was charging towards him with this glowing.

Astrid too charged towards her. "This anger is not just mine, it's _Dragon Tails_!" Minerva then paused at Astrid began to glow. " _Second Origin! Release!_ "

" _Second Origin_?" Helga stared.

"I bet Minerva never saw that coming," said Fishlegs.

"She was hiding all along?" Ingrid stared. "That's crazy!"

A massive burst of energy began to surround Astrid.

Hiccup the First smiled. "Go forth the young ones, forward onto destiny."

When the dust finally parted Astrid was now standing there now wearing an elegant armour composed of a short blue robe trimmed red which is largely open in the middle, revealing much of Astrid's chest. The robe was tied together at the waist with a simple red ribbon. The robe had elegant multi-layered trim. She wore a pair of large blue gloves which have red trims flaring out in the ends. She wore a pair of shoulder pads, bearing the image of a dragon with six eyes with its mouth wide open bearing its fangs.

She had blue and red leggings which matched the gloves in their pattern and design. Around the leggings were a pair of red greaves. Two strands of her hair from the sides of her head were each tied together by a red bead with an intricate swirling pattern. In her hand she held a monstrous looking spear that looked as if he could pierce through the toughest armour.

Astrid looked at Minerva with a murderous look. " _Red Death Armour!_ "

* * *

Meanwhile in the streets right on Heather were having a tough time dealing with both Lyon and Shanyla and were getting exhausted.

"Man, this is definitely getting exhausting," said Ragnar.

Heather nodded and agreed she panted. "My magic power is nearly gone."

Lyon looked at Heather. "Heather, please forgive me."

Shanyla rolled her eyes. "Let's finish this off and get our points. Come on!"

Lyon closed eyes. "Hurting girls isn't my thing, Shanyla. Especially, it's my beloved." He then turned towards her. "If you want points then take care of yourself."

Shanyla looked at him annoyed. "Quit being so stubborn, you're stronger than both of them and you know it. So, just go all out and will be done here and if you get hurt somehow I'll fix you up with _Healing Magic_."

Heather looked up. " _Healing Magic_?"

Ragnar mentally kicked himself. "Oh, crap, I forgot there was something she could do."

Lyon smirked. "An unfortunate mistake, your poor memory is another advantage I have over you."

Shanyla turned on him. "Lyon, quit showing off and take them out already!"

Lyon then turned on her. "I'm not showing off! And I told you to take care of Heather alone!"

"Is there a reason you can't do it!"

"Quit arguing and do as I say!"

The two of them argued Ragnar place a hand on Heather's shoulder. "We found their weak point and it's fatal." He then grasped her hand. "When it comes to teamwork they've got nothing on us."

Heather smiled at him. "You're right, that makes all the difference and guarantees our victory."

Ragnar nodded. "We're ending this, you with me?"

Heather nodded. "Of course."

* * *

Hiccup the First smiled. "You shed blood and countless tears for your charges… yet you shine with a brilliant of the sun."

Hiccup then began taking a deep breath. " _Lightening Flame Dragon's_ …"

"Fear serves no purpose, forge ahead and your path will unfold," Hiccup the First continued.

" _Roar!_ " Hiccup roared.

He then unleashed a powerful breath attack with a combination of fire and lightning. Immediately Jura raised his hand.

" _Iron Rock Wall!_ " he yelled.

Immediately erupting from the ground with stone walls, but they didn't stop Hiccup's attack. The attack just kept on breaking through wall after wall and it shattered the final one and consumed him in fire and lightning.

The blast erupted past him destroying the buildings behind him and when the power faded Jura just stood there completely overwhelmed by the attack and began to fall backwards.

"Well done," he said before he hit the ground.

Hiccup then fell onto one knee completely exhausted from attack.

Dragon Tail immediately cheered upon his victory.

"Hiccup wins!" Agnar yelled over the cheers of the crowd. "The Viking Lord is down for the count! What an upset! _Dragon Tail_ earns five points and takes the lead!"

1st Dragon Tail: 56P

2nd Sabretooth: 55P

3rd Thor's Hammer: 50P

* * *

At the same time Ragnar and Heather were combining their magics into a Unison Raid. Immediately this caught the attention of their opponents.

Lyon narrowed his eyes. "Bastard, I went easy on you and you have paid me by stabbing me in the heart! I won't hold anything back now! He then turned to Shanyla. "Quick, Shanyla."

However, Shanyla was staring at the combined magic in wonder. "Beautiful."

Lyon began shaking her. "Quit staring off into space, I need you to heal me!"

"Let's go!" Ragnar yelled and Heather yelled next to him.

Lyon was still trying to shake Shanyla out of her trance. "If you don't do something were going to lose!"

Shanlya then snapped out of the trance, but it was far too late.

" _Water Nebula!_ " Heather yelled.

" _Ice Geyser!_ " Ragnar yelled.

Immediately the two of them unleashed a powerful surge of water I straight at Lyon and Shanyla sending them flying into the air.

"This is all your fault!" Lyon yelled as they disappeared into the distance.

"Sorry, I couldn't look away!" Shanyla yelled apologetically.

Ragnar and Heather smiled at one another.

"That's a win for teamwork," Ragnar smiled.

They looked at one another for about a minute until they realised they were still holding hands. Immediately they pulled away from one another blushing slightly.

"Uh… nice work," said Ragnar awkwardly.

"Yeah, you too," said Heather slightly pink.

Ursula was just starstruck as _Dragon Tail_ had defeated the last of their members.

"They lost? No way," she said completely in shock. "They're my strongest Viking!"

"Shanyla!" Ashelin cried.

"No! No! It can't be over!" Ursula cried she began spinning like a top.

Ashelin looked at her. "You're going to spin your head off old hag."

" _Thor's Hammer_ is out of the match for good!" Agnar cried. " _Dragon Tail_ is truly unstoppable."

"They're sitting pretty at 58 points," said Mindor.

1st Dragon Tail: 58P

2nd Sabretooth: 55P

* * *

Meanwhile in the park, Minerva just stared at Astrid, who was now wearing her most powerful armour yet.

" _Niel Wielg Mion Terse Elcantaeus!_ " Minerva yelled placing her hands together as they began to glow.

Astrid glared at her with hatred. "Nothing can save you now!"

" _Yagdo Rigora!_ " Minerva yelled unleashing her attack.

However, Astrid merely swung her spear slicing the magic in two causing it to explode before it even reached her.

"She cut through the spell," Helga stared.

"I saw, but I still don't believe my eyes," said Ingrid in bewilderment.

Fishlegs then pulled out a book on magic. "The Red Death Armour. It consumes magic power at such intense rate that no Viking has been able to utilise it for the past 10 years. However, if anyone was to adorn this armour they would become a force without equal and conquer all that would stand against them."

Minerva just stared at her. "But how? No, you should be out of power! How can you still be standing?"

Astrid narrowed her eyes. "I told you, I will keep standing until I put you in the dirt."

Minerva then slowly began to back away. "No… stop…"

Astrid glared at him with hatred. "I will have revenge."

"Stay back, you won this! Let me go!" Minerva begged.

"Let's end this!" Astrid yelled as he drew her spear.

She then struck Minerva sending her flying and tearing her dress to shreds. She then landed on the floor and skidded across it and both Camicazi and Neria just looked at her. Minerva was not face first on the ground unable to move, but Astrid remain standing and strong.

The entire crowd began to cheer but Astrid.

"That was outstanding! Astrid has just defeated _Sabretooth's_ leader has scored five points," Agnar cried.

1st Dragon Tail: 63P

2nd Sabretooth: 55P

"I guess we know who the truly regal one is. All hail the Queen of Valkyries, Astrid Hofferson! Most of the other guilds Vikings are out of the Games! Can _Dragon Tail_ win without losing a single member? We'll find out, don't you dare look away, I sure won't!"

Sting remained sitting in the alley for the entire Games.

Agnar then looked at the other announcers. "Mr Johann, any comments?"

"Well, I'd say that _Dragon Tail_ is close to winning it all now," said Johann.

Mindor nodded. "Incredible."

The members of _Dragon Tail_ were richly on the edge of their seats.

"Hear that?" Gustav asked.

"We could win it all," said Helga.

Ingrid was on the verge of tears. "Even after we started dead last."

"It certainly brings tears to an old soldier's eyes," said Gobber.

The crowd was also getting antsy.

"Isn't there is still one person left?"

"Yeah, but what you expect one guy to do against all of them?"

"Nothing, that's what!" a girl cried.

"The Dragons have got this win in the bag!"

" _Dragon Tail! Dragon Tail! Dragon Tail!_ " the crowd cheered over and over again.

* * *

Mala and Darton when the Palace looking very grim, because the moment they have in waiting for was about to show itself.

"This is it," said Mala.

Darton nodded gravely. "Indeed."

* * *

The sun had finally set and Sting was sitting in the alley smirking, because now it was the time to act.

"What do you know, it's all gone exactly as I hoped it would," he smiled. "It must be fate, that all good karma."

* * *

In the audience, a member of the crowd had noticed something on the scoreboard and frowned.

The old man sitting next to him looked at him. "What is it?"

"Oh, it's just the scores."

"What? Is something off?"

"No, it's… look if something Sting is able to take down all five of the _Dragons_ what will happen then?"

The old man and began counting on his fingers. "Let's say leader is worth five the other four are…" He stopped in his eyes widened.

The announcers had also noticed the number gap between the last two teams.

"Nine points," said Agnar. "If Sting manages to defeat all five of _Dragon Tail_ members who will score just enough for _Sabretooth_ to make a come from behind victory. It's possible but unlikely."

"He could, all of _Dragon Tail's_ members are covered in injuries," Johann pointed out.

Mindor just stared openmouthed. "Is he going to beat all of them?"

Is immediately drawn to everyone that this was exactly what Sting was hoping for.

"Did Sting planned this?"

"No way, that would be crazy."

* * *

In the city, a beam of light shot into the sky so that everyone could see. Sting was standing in the central Plaza and had been the one that fired the flare.

"I'm ready for you _Dragon Tail_!" Sting yelled. "Let's go, come and get me!"

Slowly the members of _Dragon Tail_ began to make their way towards the central Plaza. Ragnar was so tired that Heather had to support him, Hiccup and Eret had been exhausted from using their twin attribute forms and Astrid was in the worst shape and she had to use stick to move around.

The members of _Dragon Tail_ just watched on helplessly for there was nothing that they could do. Either they would lose or they would win there was no way of getting around it.

Sting then watched as team _Dragon Tail_ entered the Plaza, he could tell from an incident that they were worn out from battling tough opponents. They then soon surrounded him and lay their eyes upon him.

Sting smirked. "Now there's a site. It's weird, being surrounded by heroes of my childhood isn't all that grand."

"Enough chitchat, we didn't come here to make friends," said Eret.

"We'll fight you one-on-one, pick somebody," said Ragnar.

"Why not all at once?" Sting asked. "With those injuries one-on-one will be boring."

Heather looked at him strongly. "Do not underestimate us… just ask your comrades."

"Wouldn't dream of it, I'm trying to treat you with respect you deserve. That's why I'll destroy you altogether! I have been waiting for this moment, I will show you how strong I've become! How do it for Hookfang!"

"Oh yeah," said Ragnar.

Hiccup looked at his former student. "You wish to fighters by yourself? You remember the last time we fought, don't you?"

"How could I," said Sting narrowing his eyes. "But now I'm all in a match for you! Losing Hookfang brought me pain, but it also granted me new power! For Hookfang, for my best friend, I'm going to beat you and win it all!"

Astrid then took a step forward. "Okay, you're so determined to say this to the end. We'll give you the fight you want."

Sting smiled. "Now you're talking!"

All five of them looked at Sting within unwavering focus and a powerful bright light then began to circle around Sting as he began to channel his magic power.

"Prepare to witness the awakened power of a _Dragon Slayer_!" he announced.

He chuckled to himself, but when he looked at them he saw something that he did not expect. Despite this major power surrounding him the members of _Dragon Tail_ stood their ground giving him not a look of defeat, but one of victory. Immediately his power wavered and he instantly felt intimidated by their stare.

' _I am I hesitating?_ ' he asked himself in confusion. ' _They are all bruised and beaten. They would probably fall over if I just blew on them._ ' He then clenched his fist try to shake himself out of his funk. ' _Snap out of it! You've come this far why in the name of Tarbal are you wavering? All you have to do is beat these guys and you would have done everything that milady told you. You'll get to see Hookfang again. Yes, do it for him._ '

Try as he must, as he focused upon the image of Hookfang, he found himself unable to move. ' _Get moving. I have grown so much, my feelings for Hookfang have made me stronger than ever_.' He looked at Hiccup and the others and still found it impossible to move. ' _They're weak, they've got nothing! I can win!_ '

Everyone watched as he took a step forward, but then suddenly he fell to his knees much to the confusion of all. "I can't do it," he said. "I can't beat you… I surrender."

Minerva was crying as she saw the scoreboard change.

1st Dragon Tail: 64P

2nd Sabretooth: 55P

Slowly the crowd began to cheer as they recovered from their shock and more than half of the members of _Dragon Tail_ began to cry, because today they had finally become the number one Guild in Septem, something they failed to do for seven years.

"It's over!" Agnar cried. "The winner of the Grand Magic Games is _Dragon Tail_!"

Immediately fireworks shot up into the air and exploded into 1000 different lights and colours. The crowd then began to cheer like they had never done before as this had been the most exciting Games in known history, but none were happier than _Dragon Tail_ as they hugged each other and she had with one another.

The members of _Team Dragon Tail_ smiled, because they succeeded in what they attempted to do.

Hiccup then approached Sting who was on his hands and knees crying. "Sting, why did you backdown from the fight?"

Sting was shaking uncontrollably. "I was so sure that I could win… that's all I had to do and I would see him again. But all of a sudden it's like I just lost hope, I don't know why exactly but I know that I don't have your strength and I felt as if I didn't deserve to see him, not yet."

Astrid smiled as she walked up. "You still can."

"Astrid!" a voice cried.

Everyone turned and found Neria standing there and in her arms was an unconscious Hookfang.

Sting looked up and his eyes immediately turned to Hookfang and he found himself completely speechless. Hookfang's eyes began to open and immediately he dashed forward and upon seeing Sting, Hookfang try to free himself from Neria's grip. Neria then placed him down and he immediately rushed towards Sting.

"Hookfang!" Sting cried and tripped into the ground.

"Sting!" Hookfang cried as he ran towards him. "It's you!"

Tears trickled down Sting's face. "You're okay! Sting!"

The team members of _Team Dragon Tail_ just smiled at the happy reunion between the two friends.

The two of them laughed as Hookfang jumped into Sting's arms.

Elsewhere in the city Rogue and Skull were watching the scene from the screens and smiled as were the other members of _Dragon Tail_. However, Hiccup's the First phase turned bleak.

* * *

Within the Palace, Throk entered the Princess's chambers.

"Princess! Princess Mala!" he called. However, he soon discovered that there was nobody there. "Don't tell me… she's already on her way?"

* * *

Mala was indeed on her way towards the _Eclipse Gate_ and with her was a grave looking Darton.

"So _Dragon Tail_ won without losing a member and Sting surrender to them," said Darton as they walked down the stairs.

"As I feared, the unpredictable has been predicted," said Mala as they reached the end of the stairs and began walking through the dark corridor. "Now I'm sure of it, my adviser is from our future. Which means their horrific past will soon be our present, a battle for the survival of all the races is about to begin. Move the _Eclipse Two,_ henceforth known as the _Eclipse Cannon_ aboveground!"

* * *

Meanwhile Valka's team were being surrounded by the guards, but the Hiccup from the future was finally unleashing a portion of his magic. He was using overwhelming strength to push back the guards which was turning the battle of the conflict.

"Any of you know what time it is?" Valka asked.

"No clue," said Ruby. "It's got to be knight by now."

"The Game should be over," said Toothless. "Maybe we won and all this will end too."

"I can Say for certain that we did with, but we can't waste time here," said Hiccup strongly. "We've got a kingdom to save!" He then turned to the others. "We have to meet up with the others, they need to know about the _Eclipse_ before it's too late."

Hiccup then charged towards the soldiers not allowing his second chance to save his friends pass him by.


	65. The One Who Closes the Gate

"It's all over!" Agnar cried. "The winner of the Grand Magic Games is _Dragon Tail_!"

Cheers erupted across the Colosseum from both the audience and the members of _Dragon Tail_. It was like a dream had come true and they were living it.

 _Team Dragon Tail_ was still in the central and they could hear the cheers coming from all the way from the Coliseum.

"Man, that sounds incredible," said Ragnar. "We can hear it from all the way from here."

Heather smiled. "This is awesome, if they start sharing any louder but as I think the ground will start shaking."

"It certainly been a long time coming," Eret smiled.

"I still can't forget the boos they yelled on the first day," Astrid nodded. She then turned to Hiccup. "I bet your father is beside himself with excitement."

"I say that the safe bet," Hiccup nodded. "Cheering aside, this certainly makes up for the seven years of humiliation our Guild mates endured."

"At least it's finally over," Heather sighed. "Hopefully now we won't have to listen to Lyon trying to take me."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that," said Ragnar rolling his eyes.

They then saw Sting still hugging Hookfang as the two of them cried tears of joy.

"Just listen to this crowd roaring its approval," said Agnar. "The mightiest Guild of Septem is back with a vengeance."

Johann smiled. "Congratulations, Stoick."

"This is completely unprecedented," said Mindor in shock. "They managed to win without losing anyone, never in the history of the Grand Magic Games has there been quite a finish like that."

* * *

King Macario was sitting on his throne with a large smile on his face.

"Now that had to be the most exciting Grand Magic games I have ever seen," he said clapping uncontrollably. He then noted the corner of his eye several guards approaching him.

* * *

" _Dragon Tail_ has clawed its way from a last-place start to first place upset," said Agnar in disbelief. "And don't forget the upstart Guild was originally split into two separate competing teams."

"They definitely have a strong sense of solidarity which is what allowed _Dragon Tail_ to triumph in the end," said Johann.

"I certainly agree," Agnar nodded. He then turned to Mindor. "Tell us Mindor what are your thoughts?"

"To be honest I have no words to describe what we have seen," he said shaking his head. "So many twists and turns, so many come from behind victories. I have to say I find myself unable to keep up with all the excitement."

Skull smiled. "Those guys generally deserve being number one, huh?"

Rogue nodded. "Yeah, I know we just lost, but I feel happier now than I have ever been before."

Skull smiled at him. "Good to know."

Rogue then looked down on the ground. "Hey, Skull, listen…"

Skull then looked at her curiously. "What's the matter, Rogue?"

Though just looked at him and smiled. "Nothing, I just want to change and become the kind of woman who treasures her friends."

Skull nodded. "Fine by me."

"This year's games had too many impressive battles to count," said Johann.

"Which fight did you find most memorable Mindor?" Agnar asked looking at the referee.

"I don't know, they were all exciting by my count," he said.

"I have to say that I agree," Johann nodded. "But if I had to pick one I would say that it would have to be the battle between Hiccup and the _Twin Dragons_. In that fight he demonstrated the true idealism of becoming a Viking."

* * *

Meanwhile the central Plaza, Hiccup and the others were looking at one another.

"Guess it's over," said Eret.

"I suppose that what's left is the celebration," said Heather.

Hiccup looked at Astrid with a concerned look. "How was your leg, Astrid?"

Astrid gave him a reassuring look. "It should be good as new in a few days."

"Gottta say, I can't wait to relax," said Ragnar. "I'm completely tuckered out."

"I think we're all feeling the exhaustion now," said Hiccup.

They all nodded in agreement.

Astrid then looked at them seriously. "So, did anyone see the signal flare?"

Hiccup shook his head. "No, but I've been keeping an eye out for it this entire time. Except for the time when Jura knocked me flat into the ground."

"I didn't see one either," Ragnar frowned.

"I'm not too worried," said Eret crossing his arms and looked at Hiccup. "Your mother is almost as tough as you."

Sting frowned. "Signal flare?"

Hookfang looked Sting confused. "What do you think they're talking about?"

Sting looked at them. "What are you guys talking about?"

They all remained perfectly quiet.

Hookfang frowned. "What's the deal? And what's this about the signal flare?"

Hiccup turned towards the Palace. ' _We're counting on you guys. You better make it out of the._ '

* * *

In the Palace Valka's team was still doing battle with the _Hungry Wolf Hunters_.

" _Sky Dragon's Roar!_ " Valka yelled unleashing her breath attack upon Magnus.

" _Gravity Zone!_ " he yelled pointing his fingers up.

Immediately Valka's breath attack went straight up. "You have to do a lot better than that if you want to hull in this catch."

Valka narrowed her eyes. "I'm starting to get tired."

Alfhild was facing Ruby. " _Paper Blizzard: Purple Dance!_ "

She then immediately fired a barrage of purple paper would attach themselves to Ruby. Immediately she found herself unable to move and at Alhild's complete mercy.

"This again?" she said starting to get annoyed. "Come on, I'm getting bored here."

"Okay then, let's spice things up," said Alfhild as he began to create paper balls from grey paper. "How about I start by shredding your clothes!"

Immediately they turn into shuriken and began speeding towards Ruby.

"Hey, wait a sec! Let's not get crazy!" Ruby panicked.

Immediately Virgo created a hole beneath her and she fell through it, causing the shuriken to miss her.

"I'm very sorry about that, mistress," said Virgo apologetically. "I had to intervene to protect your dignity."

Ruby sighed with a sigh of relief. "That was way too close."

Cosmos was still fighting against Leo and was attempting to strike him down with her thorn covered vines.

"Now die ugly brute," she demanded.

Leo immediately jumped into the air and smashed through one of the vines with a glowing fist. He then immediately rushed over to Cosmos and pulled her in close.

"Wow, the rage in your eyes is utterly intoxicating," he noted. "What do you say we dig this fight and go and get a bite to eat somewhere romantic?

Cosmos groaned in disgust and pushed him away. "I ask you to die."

Ake was still engaging in battle with Merrill trying to hit her with acid.

"Why don't you just die!" he yelled as he slammed his hand to the ground causing collars of acid to emerge from the floor.

Merrill quickly washed the acid away with a burst of water. She then looked pleadingly at Ake. "Please, let us pass, we've got to find our friends."

Ake laughed. "Sorry, no can do. You and me are going to be hanging out for the rest of your short life."

Skullcrusher raised his _Musica Sword_ just in time to block Calder's strike with his scythe. The two of them then began clashing with one another, not letting up. The two of them then crossed blades and looked at each other straight in the eyes.

"Your time is up, surrender now," Calder demanded.

"Just let us pass through!" Skullcrusher demanded.

The two of them and disengage them jumped back still looking at each other straight in the eyes.

"Never!" said Calder stubbornly. "Not a single one of you will escape."

"Can you at least hear us out?"

Calder narrowed his eyes. "I am a peacekeeper of Septem, those that threaten the peace must die."

"We aren't threatening anything! We're trying to help Septem and time is short!" Skullcrusher yelled. "Why are you refusing to understand that?"

"A criminal would say anything to escape justice," said Calder dismissively. "Your words are meaningless."

Hiccup was growing frustrated. "We're running out of time. We can't let them trap us in like this, if we don't do something soon it will be too late. It will all happen again."

Stormfly noticed Hiccup looking a bit distracted. "Hiccup, are you feel okay?"

"Of course not," he said with a slightly panic voice. "If we do not move will be trapped in here and history will repeat itself."

Stormfly looked at him with a concerned look. ' _This future Hiccup said that in his time we were in the castle when the disaster happened. We escaped our present, but even if we are behind bars we're still trapped in the castle so we're just in as much danger._ '

Unfortunately, more soldiers were now coming down the corridors at far greater numbers.

"Go men!" a soldier ordered. "Show them no mercy!"

Leo saw the soldiers approaching them. "More reinforcements? We need to wrap this thing up."

Alfhild smiled as he held up some white paper. "Stay still for a second I will end your miserable life."

To make matters worse Toothless, Skullcrusher and Cloudjumper had reverted back to the normal form.

"Great, we're out of magic power," Toothless groaned.

Calder smiled at the now helpless Skullcrusher. "Look at that, now it will be easier to execute you."

Then suddenly a fierce fire could be seen within Hiccup's eyes. "No, I will not lose my friend the second time!"

Immediately he unleashed a burst of flames so intense that the soldiers that went near him and their weapons melting in their hands.

"Such power!"

"Our weapons are melting!"

During this chaos a soldier looked behind him and his friends looked at him curiously.

"What is it? Did you see something?"

The soldier then looked back. "I thought so, but it must have been my imagination."

Hiccup then started making his way towards the executioners with flame. It wasn't just the weapons the soldiers were holding that were melting, but the entire corridor as well.

"I'm giving you this one chance to back off," he warned. "I have been holding back so that my power would not destroy this castle, but time is running out."

The executioner stood strong.

"We will not back down," said Calder pointing his right scythe at him.

"Nobody is getting out of this castle, understand!" Magnus yelled.

However, they then looked down and saw that shadows had somehow appeared underneath their feet and it was moving up their bodies.

"Hey, I'm caught in someone's net!" Magnus yelled.

The soldiers soon found themselves in the same predicament.

"I can't move a muscle!"

"Me neither!"

"What's happening?"

"Something is holding them down," Toothless stared.

"Is that some kind of _Shadow Magic_?" Stormfly asked curiously.

Suddenly they saw the soldiers in front of them were now started sinking into the ground.

"What in Thor's name is going on?"

"I don't know, but it's bad!"

Hiccup claims immediately began to die down. "What is going on?"

Everyone watched as most of the soldiers had been completely consumed by the shadows.

"What's happening?" Calder stared.

"That shadow is swallowing our men!" Alfhild cried.

"Yeah, is it a spell?" Cosmos frowned.

Ruby's eyes widened when she saw the shuttle began to extend across the corridor and soon it wasn't just the soldiers that found themselves sinking, but the executioners as well.

"The shadows are hulling me in!" Magnus cried as he grasped Ake's hand.

"We'll pull through just hang on!" Ake yelled, who felt himself sinking.

Alfhild and Cosmos were holding onto Calder's scythes as he tried to pull them out.

"Why is this happening to us?" Alfhild asked in a panicked voice.

"Please help!" Cosmos cried.

"Hold on, I'll save you!" said Calder reassuringly.

Unfortunately, the Shadow then reached towards Calder and he too began to sink into the ground. "No! This cannot be! We the _Hungry Wolf Hunters_ bested by a shadow! How?" He was now up to his neck and still sinking. "Princess, I have failed you…!"

Then he too vanished into the ground.

Hiccup's eyes widened. "That shadow?" Who watched Shadow began to back away from them. "It's the same shadow that possessed Rogue during the Grand Magic Games."

Valka frowned. "Then what is it doing here?"

* * *

Meanwhile at the outskirts of the city, Jellal eyes widened when he finally realised what had happened.

"I've got it!" he said getting to his feet. "Everything makes sense now."

"What do you mean?" Ultear asked.

"All this time the truth has been right under our noses."

Orara frowned. "What's going on, Jellal."

"This Hiccup may be from the future, but he arrived in July 4th, but it was actually just before midnight on the third," Jellal explained.

Ultear's eyes widened in shock. "Then he can't be the source of the power we've been sensing for years. He only got here a few days ago."

"Agreed, the taint of Drago we've been sensing for the past couple of years came from the _Eclipse_ , there's no doubt in my mind."

"But this is different, it's a person," said Orara.

"The Eclipse is a powerful source of magic created by the Chronicler herself, which means there is a price. All those that use it bear the traits of Drago's power for some reason."

Ultear narrowed her eyes. "Drago. The Black Tyrant. The man responsible for the fall of the elves, the man enslaved countless dragons and turned them upon his own people to begin his empire. A man so strong that he cannot die."

"You guys are freaking me out," said Orara.

"I'm just as an easy, but right now we have to put in our focus elsewhere. There is simply too much at stake," said Jellal.

Orara nodded. "Right."

"If we assume that this future Hiccup has been completely honest with us then he came into our time on the 3rd just before midnight. If that's true then who did I say earlier that evening?"

* * *

Meanwhile at the palace, the _Eclipse Gate_ was now out in the open and Mala was dressed for wall as she directed her soldiers around with Darton by her side. She only started when she saw Throk approaching her.

"Princess," said Throk.

Mala gasped. "Throk it's you! I'm relieved to see that you're all right."

Darton, however, was not as it was he who threw him into the dungeon the trial. "Captain, please forgive me for throwing you into the Palace of Perdition. It was a misunderstanding on my part."

Throk looked at him. "You did what you thought was right, I hold no grudge." He then turned his eyes to the soldiers around them. "The men you assembled here have you already informed them of the _Eclipse's_ secondary purpose?"

Mala nodded. "I have. The rest of the garrison is being informed of the plan as we speak. Hopefully that means word will spread to the _Hungry Wolf Hunters_ as well. The Time Traveller's prediction about the end of the Games… it came true. We've no choice, we'll switch to _Eclipse Two_ , it is our only chance against what is coming."

Throk looked at her. "Princess am I to understand that you have abandoned our original plan to go back in time defeat Drago?"

Mala shook her head. "No, but right now we have to focus on the more imminent threat."

Then to everyone's surprise Throk then drew his sword.

"Captain!" Darton gasped.

He then handed the blade to Mala and then pointed the tip to his throat. "A true soldier must always trust his superior's word, this is part of the code I sworn to live by. I am duty-bound to put my faith in you, which is why I ask you to slay me Princess."

Mala just stared at him.

"Since I cannot repress the doubt with in me there is only one recourse. I must die for I have dishonoured you."

Darton looked outraged. "Throk have you gone mad?"

Throk then glared at him with send shivers down his spine. He then looked back at Mala. "Princess, there is something I must ask you."

"What is it Throk?" Mala asked still confused. "What happened? What are you talking about?"

"I have spoken with your contact that came from the future. That person clearly has no knowledge of _Eclipse Two_. They knew about the impending apocalypse, but they shed tears because they did not know how to stop it."

Mala was completely taken aback. "That cannot be. They were the one that gave me explicit instructions on how to activate it."

"So you're claiming that this person was faking ignorance? I don't see how that is possible, I cannot think of a single thing that he would have to gain by lying to his friends."

Mala eyes widened. "What? Did you say _he_?"

Throk then stared at her.

"The traveller from the future who advised me, that person was a woman."

Throk's eyes widened.

* * *

Jellal had just came to the same conclusion. "Whoever I saw on the evening of the 3rd wasn't him. He didn't arrive until later which can only mean that someone else has used the Eclipse."

* * *

In the Palace, Valka and the others had just witnessed the executioners and the soldiers being consumed by the shadow which was still in front of them.

"All of those Royal soldiers," Toothless stared.

"They were pulled into that shadow," Stormfly gasped.

"But why didn't it target us?" Skullcrusher asked.

"Because there some intelligence behind it and it wants us for some reason," Cloudjumper concluded.

Then they saw movement within the shadow.

"There's someone inside," said Leo.

"Keep your guard up," said Ruby.

Then suddenly emerging out of the shadows was an elven woman, whose right side of her face was completely hidden by a set of black bangs and on her left side she had pure white hair which cascaded down her back. Also across the bridge of her nose she had a large scar that carried on beneath her bangs.

She wore a long, light, high-collared jacket that that drapes over her shoulders is very dark, and the edges of the jacket were adorned with a tiger-print pattern. Underneath the jacket, she wore a light-colored, long sleeved shirt, wherein the cuffs are rolled up. Over her long-sleeved shirt, she had a dark, Y-shaped vest, which has three circles printed on front, that he keeps tucked into his belt. She was also wearing a pair of light trousers under the loose pieces of cloth and, to complete her attire, strapped boots.

"Now who would you be?" Valka asked.

Jellal and the others were making their way down towards the city as quickly as they could.

"You seriously think there's another person from the future here?" Orara asked.

"Yes, and they should be easy to find because they would be swamped by that evil power from using the _Eclipse_ ," Jellal explained. "We know Hiccup came back to save us, the question is why is the other person here?"

Valka's team were still looking at the woman that emerged out of the shadows.

"Shadows can reach beyond the present to both the past and the future and into the hearts of men," she said. Hiccup recognised it almost instantly as the mysterious figure looked at him. "It would seem as if we meet again Hiccup Haddock. I've travelled quite a ways from the distant future, I'm Rogue."

The mysterious figure was indeed Rogue leaving everyone quite complex.

"Impossible, how could you be Rogue?" Hiccup stared.

"The same one from _Sabretooth_?" said Merrill in shock.

Ruby just stared at him dumbfounded. "You came from the future too."

"It would appear so," said Valka quietly.

"Why are you here?" Toothless asked.

* * *

Meanwhile in the courtyard, Mala and Throk were still staring at each other not noticing that a lunar eclipse was upon them.

"There are two who came from the future, one of them is Hiccup," said Throk. "He came back in time to warn his friend of the impending doom."

"And then there's another one who came to tell the Princess how to avert that disaster," said Darton.

"Both have the same objective in heart, they both did what they could to try and save the kingdom," Mala concluded. "It was their only chance and if the future is as bad as they say they're could still be more."

Mala then gave the startled Throk his sword back. "Take back your sword, you'll need it for the battle ahead. I'm going to open the _Eclipse_ , I intend to say this kingdom that means drawing a blade of my own."

Mala then drew her own sword and turned to face the _Eclipse Gate_.

* * *

Meanwhile Jellal and the others were making their way towards the Palace as quickly as they could.

"The second time traveller, what could be their goal?" Jellal wandered. "We have to hurry!"

* * *

Meanwhile within the Palace, Valka and the others were staring down at Rogue.

"You took out all the Royal soldiers, are you trying to help us?" Leo asked.

"You seem pretty different then what you were before," Valka noted.

"So why you come back?" Stormfly asked. "Just what do you want?"

"All I wanted to use the _Eclipse_ ," said Rogue simply.

"But what is that going to do?" Ruby asked.

"It can save us all, if we tap into its hidden power. As you know it can be used for time travel, but it can also serve as an offensive weapon known as the _Eclipse Cannon_. The Chronicler used this power in order to combat during the Dragon Wars decimated an entire army with a single blast. That is the only chance you have defeating the 10,000 dragons."

"So we can win against," said Hiccup quietly.

"Finally we have a plan," said Valka relieved.

"Does this mean everything is going to be okay?" Merrill asked hopefully.

"Afraid not, you see I come from seven years into the future, a time when the world as you know it would have ceased to exist. The dragons will then destroy everything and rule over the ashes."

"They're going to take over?" Valka stared.

"But what happened to the people that survived the attack?" Merrill asked.

"In my time the elves and dwarfs have been completely eradicated and only 10% of the human race remains. Furthermore, our _Eclipse_ has but a fraction of power yours can wield. Which means this is our last chance, we stop them now or die."

"It seems pretty simple to me," said Valka questionably. "All we have to do was just open the gate and unleash the power upon the dragons."

"Seven years and my past, something happened," Rogue continued. "Someone prevented _Eclipse Two_ from activating."

"But how come?" Ruby frowned. "Why would they do that?"

"Because of that one person's actions, the gate remains shut and all the races were left defenceless against 10,000 raging dragons. This person's actions completely destroy the elves and dwarfs and killed off 90% of the human race. So I come back to save those lives by eradicating there."

"How barbaric," Stormfly glared. "Why don't you try explaining the situation to them before you resort to violence?"

"She's right, there's no need for bloodshed," said Skullcrusher.

"A person's destiny is unavoidable, even if I did persuade them somehow they would still end up stopping _Eclipse_ , fate has stolen that choice from them. Their future is set in stone."

"They don't have a choice?" Ruby stared.

"None of us are stronger than fate, the living remain and the dead are gone. The one that closed the gate before will always do the same as long as they're alive it is bound to happen again."

"No one's destiny is written in stone," said Valka strongly. "We all have the freedom to choose our own destiny. And you have yet to tell us who this person you are after is."

Rogue closed his eye and then looked at Ruby. "It's you… Ruby Heartfull!"

He then unleashed a burst of shadow from his hand directing it at Ruby and it took the form of a sword. Ruby was to show up to move a single muscle and everything slowed it down in front of her. Valka quickly made a move for the shadows sword, but it went straight through her hand.

However, from out of nowhere Hiccup placed himself between her and the attack and raised his prosthetic arm. Immediately there was a massive burst of energy that went in all directions and when the smoke finally cleared Hiccup remained unfazed by the attack.

"I cannot allow you to do that," he said strongly.

Ruby stared at Hiccup. "You okay?"

Hiccup gave her a reassuring smile. "I'm fine." However he then winced in pain and fell onto one knee. "Okay, maybe fine was a too strong a word, but I am alive."

"Why did you stop me?" Rogue demanded. "You came from the future just as I just saved our present."

Hiccup narrowed his eyes at her. "It was a very nice story, you had me believing at one point, but you were lying to us the entire time."

Everyone then stared at Hiccup.

"What?" Ruby stared.

"What you mean Hiccup?" Toothless frowned.

"Because in my time a shadow possessed the Rogue from my time and attempted to kill Eret. My ancestor mentioned how it was dark magic, the likes of which he had not seen the 800 years during the time of the Dragon War by Drago himself. Also, Ruby informed me that that she was in the Palace the entire time I had no reason to lie to me which means she could have closed the _Eclipse Gate_."

He then turned his eyes upon Rogue. "You and I come from two different timelines, don't we? I come from a timeline with the dragons destroyed everything around, but you came from one with that did not happen, in fact you're the cause of the entire incident aren't you?"

Rogue chuckled slightly. "You're a smart as ever, Hiccup."

"But why would you do such a thing?" Ruby stared.

"You do not need to know, but I must prevent you from reaching the _Eclipse Gate_ or else my plan will be all for nothing," she said dismissively.

Ruby began to cry. "Why would you cause such a terrible incident? What do you have to gain?"

"Because the future I came from his completely unbearable, nothing more nothing less," she said narrowing her eyes. "You are destined to shut the gate and that is something I cannot allow!"

Toothless frowned. "But that doesn't make any sense? If what Hiccup says is true then our future must be even worse."

"Nothing is worse than my future!" Rogue roared. She then began to form another surge of shadows within the palm of her hand. "Every decision that you make is set in stone, nothing you can do can stop my true plan! However, I do not like loose ends so I must kill Ruby so that my plan succeed!"

"I saw her die wants, I do not want to see it again!" Hiccup roared as he quickly removed his cape.

Now standing before them was Hiccup with the needs of his trousers torn, wearing a set of chest armour with his left arm completely bare, a large shoulder pad with his guild emblem on it and _Inferno_ still strapped to his waist.

"If you say that fate is inevitable then how simply burn it to ashes!" Hiccup yelled as he flung a powerful fist of fire directly at Rogue. The attack was so powerful that he skidded across the floor. "I will not allow you to destroy their future like you did mine!"

Back in his time, Hiccup led one final desperate attempt towards the _Eclipse Gate_ could prevent the dragon apocalypse. Unfortunately the gate would only instantly with all 12 keys and they only had 10 of them. In order to make up with this shortcoming, Ruby used her entire life force to open the gate.

"Protect the future," she said before she passed.

"I will, I promise," said Hiccup tears coming out of his eye.


	66. Futures Collide

Hiccup had just pushed the future Rogue back and then turned to Ruby.

"Ruby, get out of here, right now," he ordered.

"I can't," Ruby stared.

Leo approached. "Hiccup has got this let's go."

He then grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet.

"I think it might be a good idea to run away from the psycho murderer," said Toothless as he and the others ran.

"Yeah, sure," Ruby nodded.

Rogue then attempted to chase after her. "You are not going anywhere!"

Hiccup then appeared out of nowhere and slammed her with a massive blazing fist.

Rogue immediately glared at him. "Hiccup Haddock."

Hiccup then slammed a powerful fist on her face and generated the burst of flames that pushed him backwards knocking her to the ground.

"I never once doubted you were trying to stop me," said Rogue's echo. Hiccup watched as Rogue got back onto her feet and saw that the dark shadow was now covering her body. "Oh well, it doesn't really matter because your fate is already sealed."

She then immediately melted into the shadows and Hiccup watched as the shadow began moving around the wall.

"Even if you managed to defeat me the dragons will still kill you," she said.

"They weren't able to do it before and I'm going to make sure they are not kill anyone else," said Hiccup defiantly. "Though I am surprised, because I never think you as a butcher."

"Time changes the person as well as you know," said Rogue. She then immediately jumped out of the shadows. "Unfortunately for you, time is limited!"

He then unleashed a powerful burst of shadows on top of Hiccup, who held his ground as best as he could.

"I will do whatever it takes to protect the future, it's a promise I made to Ruby and I'm not one to break my promises," said Hiccup defiantly. "You know I truly hate people who believe that they find the right when it comes to deciding who lives or dies. I do not know what turned you into the woman you are now and I don't care, because the only thing that matters to me is protecting the future!"

Flames then began to surround Hiccup's body as the two of them squared off at one another.

* * *

Meanwhile Adelaide was still searching for Vala. She was now in the gardens looking through the maze of bushes for her.

"Vala! Where are you hiding?" Adelaide called. "Come on out."

"I'm over here," said a quiet voice.

Adelaide turned and found Vala curled up in a corner amongst the bushes. She then slowly approached and she could tell from an incident that she was very upset that something.

"What in the world are you doing out here?" she asked.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

Adelaide and extended her hand. "Come on, go back."

Vala shook her head. "I can't." This took Adelaide but completely by surprise. "Stay away, I'll bring you bad luck. It's all I ever seem to do these days." Vala could tell that Adelaide was sceptical. "It's true, this always happens. If you stay around me I'm sure I'll do the same to you."

Adelaide looked at her. "No one I know blames their own bad luck on other people. I certainly don't."

Tears this started to form within Vala's eyes. "But I—"

"It's all right," said Adelaide as she hugged her. "Everyone has a purpose within this life, you do too. You'll see."

Vala was completely taken aback, but then she smiled as tears trickled down her cheeks.

* * *

Meanwhile at the courtyard, Mala was directing the forces she had assembled.

"In preparation for the dragons assault on Septem, we will begin the Eclipse _Cannon_ firing sequence!" she announced. She then turned and faced the _Eclipse Gate_ and extended her hand forward. "Unlock!"

Immediately they heard the sounds of gears turning and both Darton and Throk stood by his side.

Darton just shook his head. ' _I can't believe that the_ Gate _is finally opening_.'

Throk just stood there watching as one of the locks deactivated. ' _Princess I will see your will through to the end._ '

Mala then looked at several guards. "Had there been any updates from our lookouts?"

"Western Lookout reports no dragons sighted."

"Nothing to the East either, your Highness."

"What about the evacuation?" Mala asked.

"Troops are sending them away as we speak."

Across the city people were being evacuated from their homes, though for what reason they had no idea. Naturally this made them quite annoyed for being dragged out in the middle of the night, especially since they had just seen the Grand Magic Games.

"Let's move!" a soldier ordered. "We need everyone out-of-town quickly!"

"Hurry, this is an emergency!"

"It's the middle of the night! What gives?" a man complained.

"Explain yourselves!"

"Yeah, what he said! This is really cutting into my drinking time you know!"

At the palace a quarter of the locks had now been unsealed.

"I would like to wipe them out in one shot if possible," said Mala. "If we miss it will be years before were able to gather this much magic power again."

Within the bushes Valka and the others pop their heads out.

"Looks like we got here just in time," said Stormfly.

"They're about to open the gate," said Merrill.

"Question is do we stop them?" Valka asked looking at them with concern. "We know that Rogue doesn't want the gate to be closed, but we still don't know where this dragon invasion comes from."

"Hiccup said that he was in the central Plaza when it all happened," said Toothless. "He said that they were preparing for some sort of attack, but then suddenly dragons appeared out of nowhere. Apparently the king made an announcement about all of this just before the attack happened."

Toothless notice that a member of the party was missing. "Hey, Leo's not with us."

"If he was here Ruby's magic would have been sucked into the Eclipse," said Skullcrusher

"So what do we do?" Stormfly asked.

"You have no reason to hide anymore!" Throk's voice called. Immediately everyone looked up at him. "Please come out."

It was clear that Throk suspected that they were there watching.

"That would be a first," said Toothless.

"Why is Throk side-by-side with the Minister?" Stormfly frowned.

Darton immediately placed himself in front of Mala. "The situation has changed considerably."

Mala looked at all them. "You're from _Dragon Tail_."

With no other option they all emerge out of the bushes and towards them.

Mala then gave him an apologetic look. "I'm very sorry for how you been treated, but am afraid the state of emergency means an official apology will have to wait for now."

Merrill smiled. "See she's not really mean."

"Yes, I know," said Stormfly.

"Could have fooled me," said Cloudjumper quietly.

"Also I congratulate your Guild in winning the _Grand Magic Games_ ," Mala added.

"Yeah, we only knew we won," said Toothless with a smile.

"As if there was any doubt," said Skullcrusher.

"I just knew our Guild mates would let us down," said Merrill cheerfully.

They then turned their attention to the _Eclipse Gate_ and saw that half the locks had been unlocked.

Ruby then turned to Mala. "Why are you opening the gate right now? There's no need, the dragons aren't here yet."

Mala looked at Throk. "She knows about the dragons too?"

"Yes, they have all been informed of the situation," said Throk. He then turned and looked at them curiously. "Speaking of where is the Hiccup from the future?"

Valka looked at them. "He's busy fighting against the Rogue from the future.

Mala looked up. "Why?"

"Because, he tried to kill Ruby."

Everyone stared at them.

"She was a serious nut job, kept on saying that it was my fault that the dragon stormed in her timeline."

"How could that be possible?" Throk frowned.

"Hiccup said that it wasn't," said Valka. "He claimed that it was Rogue that unleashed the dragon apocalypse upon his timeline, though how he had no idea. Though it was clear that he did not want Ruby to close the gate."

"So she wanted the gate opened, but you claim that she was the one that began the apocalypse?" said Mala dubiously.

"We know it sounds crazy, but have you seen any sign of any dragons at all?" Ruby asked.

Only a quarter of the locks remain shut now.

"No, but there is no true that she had been lying to us," said Mala regretfully. "Also I find it hard to believe that she is able to conjure up 10,000 dragons from out of nowhere."

Darton nodded in agreement. "No Viking is powerful enough to summon those amount of dragons from nowhere. It is most likely they originated from a far off continent and are heading their way towards us right now."

"With pleading with you your Highness, do not do this," said Valka.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot take this lying down," she looked at them separately. "So far everything she has said has come through and you have not proven any sign of this conspiracy. But if the worst does come to pass the King will have a plan."

* * *

In the very centre of Crocus, with in the Crystal Plaza, King Macario was now facing all the Guild members that had taken part in the Games. The Crystal Plaza was basically a park, but with a large glowing Crystal glowing in the very centre of it.

King Macario was giving them a very solemn look. "Thank you for all becoming, I hate to spoil the mood after such a splendid display of magic we've seen today, but I'm afraid that Septem's heart will soon be on the claws of a dragon horde."

Naturally this announcement caused a massive amount of concern to everyone.

Stoick looked up. "I thought Acnologia was the only one?"

"Last time we fought one we lost seven years of our lives," said Agatha.

"That was a special case, but still…" Fishlegs frowned.

"We can't take on an entire horde," said Agatha.

"As we speak a large scale counter offensive is underway at the castle," said King Macario. "The _Eclipse Cannon_!"

Everyone looked up.

" _Eclipse Cannon_?" Ruffnut blinked.

"I thought it was an _Eclipse Gate_?" Tuffnut frowned.

"We will use it to wipe out the attacking dragons, all 10,000 of them at once!" King Macario announced.

Agatha frowned. "All at once? I wonder how in the name of Odin are gonna pull that off?"

King Macario closed his eyes. "I can sense your concerns. Regretfully given the sheer number of the dragons forces we expect that at most a few hundred will survive the attack."

Stoick nodded. "Yes, I would assume so."

King Macario then looked at everyone. "So I implore all you Guild Vikings, please lend Septem your assistance with dealing with this crisis! _You_ are the best hope we have of slain any dragons the _Eclipse_ cannot." He then bowed his head. "I beg of you, do not let this kingdom fall into ruin."

Everyone could tell that he was knocked joking and immediately they cheered.

"Wild!" _Blazing Fenrir_ cried.

"We'll be glad to help!" Agatha yelled.

"You can count on us," Stoick nodded.

"Yeah," _Blue Pegasus_ agreed.

"We won't be eaten by reptiles," said Lyon.

"We're in!" _Valkyrie's Sword_ yelled.

"This kingdom has always been good to us Vikings," said Sting.

Rogue nodded. "It's our duty to protect it."

"Now let's let get battle ready," said Hiccup.

Tears began to trickle down King Macario's face. "Thank you all."

Astrid then looked at a group of soldiers. "The army has captured some of our comrades, but we're going to need their help."

"They're safe, I was informed they recently joined Princess Mala at the Gate," said a soldier.

"Then we confide without worrying about our friends," Eret smiled.

"We're up against dragons," said Sting with a small smile.

"A perfect opportunity for us _Dragon Slayers_ to shine," said Rogue folding her arms.

"Those flying lizards can't beat you!" Hookfang cried.

"Take them down," said Skull.

Ilos looked at Orga. "Where's milady?"

Orga shrugged. "Who knows?"

Olatrand folded his arms. "All the Guild working together at last."

"Such a wonderful parfum," said Solatrand.

"Dragons against Pegasusi what a photo op," said Cavin.

"Let's do this," said Arvin.

"Fine, I'll go along with it," said Ferelan tiredly.

Neria was supporting Camicazi, who was still wounded. "Sit this one out okay. You need to get some rest."

Camicazi shook her head. "No way. All of us have to fight."

Lyon looked at Ragnar. "I suppose I can stomach working with you."

"Just try not to slow me down," said Ragnar.

Shanyla looked at Heather. "Is Merrill okay?"

"Don't worry, I'm sure she is fine," said Heather confidently.

"A war with dragons," said Jura as if it was a dream come true.

Ursula was spinning like a top. "Our spin them all! Let me at them!"

"Thank you," said King Macario gratefully.

"You're welcome your Majesty," said Hiccup.

"Our fate is in your hands Vikings!" King Macario cried.

They then all cheered.

* * *

Not too far way were Alistair and Alron and they had heard every single word.

"I don't believe," said Alistair.

Alron looked at Alistair. "That all these Vikings can work together?"

"No, the _Eclipse_ ," said Alistair angrily. "The mere existence of that _Gate_ violates no less than 30 different laws! This is serious, we should inform Council HQ about the situation."

"Alistair and Alron, yes?" said a voice behind them.

The two of them recognise that boys almost instantly and turn around to find Jellal standing behind them.

"Jellal?" Alistair stared.

"What are you doing here?" Alron asked.

"I have a request," he said.

* * *

Meanwhile within the Palace Hiccup was running towards rogue covered in flames. Rogue was doing the same, but she was covered in shadow and soon there was a massive of fists as they attempted to overpower the other. The result only ended in a draw as both them skidded across the floor.

Rogue then fade into the shadows and shot up the walls, onto the ceiling and raced past Hiccup. He immediately looked around for any trace of Rogue, but then suddenly she jumped out of nowhere and unleashed a powerful burst of shadows right on top of him. The attack was so strong that Hiccup lost quite a lot of ground.

Hiccup looked at him. "Tell me what you hope to accomplish? You're clearly no saviour with that dark power around you, but I still don't see what you have to gain unleashing an apocalypse upon the land."

Rogue merely smiled.

* * *

Meanwhile within the courtyard, all the locks had been unlocked in the centre of the _Eclipse_ began to glow red. All the soldiers just stared in awe and slowly the _Gate_ began to open. As it opened they saw bright light behind the great metal doors and some kind of mist began to exit from it.

Ruby frowned. "Something's not right. That power…"

* * *

Within the Crystal Plaza and everyone had gathered could hear the bells ringing informing everyone that it was now midnight. The entire city had been evacuated for the people own protection.

"I hope those aren't tolling for us," said Eret gravely.

Fishlegs frowned. "Hey, isn't this the city where the final battle of the Dragon Wars ended?"

"Yeah, it can't be a coincidence that 10,000 of the mark heading here on the same day," Eret nodded.

Stoick looked at his Guild. "Okay boys and girls, Dragon tail will be guarding the Central Plaza."

"What about the rest of the Guilds?" Speedfist asked.

"They'll all be on standby on other parts of the city," said Warithog.

Agatha then approached Astrid, who was heavily bandaged. "You need to rest Astrid, we've got this."

"I'll be fine," she assured.

"We may be bruised a bit, but thanks to the Royal healers and Shanyla we should be able to hold our own," said Ragnar.

"It's a shame that Merrill isn't around, she would have made as good as new in no time," said Heather.

Astrid then approached Hiccup, who had been remain silent for quite some time. "Is something bothering you?"

Hiccup looked at her. "I'm not sure if this _Eclipse Cannon_ would be strong enough to kill the horn of dragons that that is coming. I mean a combined attack had no effect on Acnologia and five of us were _Dragon Slayers_."

Astrid nodded. "I do have my misgivings about this plan of theirs. Also how do they knew that a dragon horde was coming our way, I mean the Viking Council would have detected them."

"I don't know," Hiccup frowned. "And I hate not knowing."

Fenris then looked at the moon which was now glowing red. "I don't know about moon as a good omen."

Alvin looked up at it. "The _Eclipse_. Fitting name."

* * *

At the courtyard the doors were still opening and everyone was waiting with bated breath, but still there was no report of any dragons approaching the kingdom. Also Ruby was getting eerie feeling about the _Gate_ and knew something was wrong, but she couldn't put a finger on it.

* * *

Hiccup and Rogue could feel the entire palace shaking indicating that the _Eclipse Gate_ was beginning to open.

"What's that sound?" Hiccup asked.

"The _Eclipse_ is finally opening!" Rogue yelled. Hiccup looked up and saw Rogue speeding towards him with her fist covered in shadows. "Even without Ruby Heartfull time moves forward." Hiccup quickly raised his prosthetic arm and blocked the attack.

"But still she will get in the way of things without fail," Rogue continued. Hiccup managed to withstood the attack and soon the two of them backed away from one another. "But she will close the gate, it's set in stone!"

She then unleashed a barrage of shadow at Hiccup. "The question is whether that a good thing or a bad thing?" Flames then began to cover Hiccup's hands." I know Ruby will do the right thing and secure our future!"

"Move aside!" Rogue ordered.

She then unleashed a burst of shadow right where Hiccup was standing and he was hit by a sudden force of dark power.

"I will end her life and you can't stop me," she smirked.

Hiccup then landed on the ceiling and then jumped towards Rogue. "I won't let that happen!"

He then unleashed a mixture of fire and lightning around his body much to Rogue's surprise.

" _Mode Change! Lightening Flame Dragon Mode!_ " Hiccup roared.

He then unleashed a punch of fire and lightning directly at Rogue and slammed right into her but inasmuch bodyweight into his attack as possible. Suddenly there was a huge explosion that raged across the corridor, but all he managed to accomplish was the destruction of her sleeve.

She merely smirked at him. "Is this the power that you hit from me all of those years ago?"

Hiccup was about to deal another powerful punch, but then Rogue's right eye began to glow with a dark light. Hiccup was pushed back and saw a mixture of shadow and light covering Rogue's body. Her left side was now completely covered in shadow and markings appeared on the right side of her face.

" _Change Mode! Holy Shadow Dragon!_ "she said.

Hiccup's eyes widened in shock and then part of that he could blink she shot right past him. He then felt a massive pain in his hip as something grazed him.

"At last," said Rogue as her bangs blew away and her left eye began to glow. "Light and dark working together as one."

Hiccup clutched his chest in pain. He then looked at Rogue and saw that her left eye had been completely sealed shut as if it had been burnt.

" _Holy Shadow Dragon's Rough Skin!_ " she yelled.

She then unleashed a barrage of light and shadow that tore up the ground and struck Hiccup fast and furious. The attack completely devastated the corridor and Hiccup had never felt such pain in his life as each and every attack went straight through him and sent him flying.

Hiccup was now face first on the ground unable to move. He then looked up at Rogue. " _Holy Shadow?_ "

Rogue laughed. "I took Sting's power when I ended his life."

Hiccup eyes widened. "You did what?"

"It wasn't easy, but it was absolutely necessary. In retrospect I should have done it sooner."

"I knew you all about darkness, but I had no idea that you would go to such steps to embrace it!"

Rogue smirked. "Now you know and you can take that real pyre."

Hiccup slowly got back to his feet and his vision was blurred. "You may be able to defeat me, but you're forgetting that I'm not the only Hiccup here."

Rogue laughed. "I come from seven years in the future and I have been here for seven years, which means I've had 14 years of experience to increase my power. You've demonstrated a lot of pull within one year of training, but you younger self is nowhere near that powerful and certainly nowhere near powerful as me. He will die along with you very soon."

Hiccup then watched as Rogue extended her right hand as both light and shadow began to flow around it. Hiccup was too weak to move and knew there was nothing more he could do.

" _Holy Shadow Dragon's_ _Rough Silk!_ " she yelled.

However before she could unleashed her attack there was a bright light.

" _Flash Forward!_ " a voice yelled.

Then suddenly Rogue was pelted by crystal balls that appeared out of nowhere. She then quickly turned into a shadow and slivered away.

Hiccup then collapsed from Rogue's previous attack.

He had been saved by Ultear, who had arrived just in the nick of time. She then had a crystal ball return to hand and soon Orara appeared by her side.

"She got away," said Orara.

Ultear immediately rushed towards the future Hiccup. "Come on, pull yourself together… Hiccup!" She saw that he was badly injured and turned to Orara. "Orara, emergency medicine… quickly!"

Orara quickly rushed towards her and pulled out a medical kit. "Here!"

However before Ultear could apply the medicine, she saw Hiccup sinking into shadows. "What is this? Hiccup!" Hiccup however did not move. "Damn it, the shadows are trying to pull him under!"

* * *

Meanwhile in the courtyard, the gate doors were now half open.

"Look!" a soldier cried. "The gate is opening! Victory is ours!"

"Yeah, the kingdom is saved!"

Toothless looked at the _Gate_. "It has so much magic my whiskers are tingling."

"With that kind of power they could wipe out the dragons in one shot," said Stormfly.

"But is it wise to keep it all in one place?" Skullcrusher frowned.

"Also we haven't seen any dragons yet," Cloudjumper pointed out.

Merrill approached Ruby who looked as if she was in a daze. "Wow, you just feel all that magic power?"

Valka nodded next to her. "I still don't know this was a wise decision."

"Yeah," Ruby nodded.

Merrill frowned slightly. "I still don't get how Rogue is going to summon all those dragons."

The _Gate_ was almost fully open now and Ruby just kept on staring at it as if she was in some other world. The light emerging from the gate was blinding and then her eyes widened. She then took a step forward towards the _Gate_.

"What are you doing?" Merrill cried.

"Close it," said Ruby. "We can't let the gate open, stop it!"

"Why?" Merrill asked.

"Because I know how Rogue is going to summon the dragons," said Ruby. "We need to close the _Gate_ and we have to do it now!"

Everyone then stared at her eyes widened.


	67. For Me, Too

Ruby was looking at everyone with a pleading look.

"Close the _Gate_!" she pleaded. "Please listen, we have to hurry and close it right now!"

"Would you care to explain yourself?" Throk asked.

"And how does this future Rogue attempt to summon dragon horde from out of nowhere?" said Mala sceptically.

"Please princess we don't have much time left you have to close it," Ruby begged.

"I can't do that!" said Mala strongly. "This is the only weapon we have that capable of combating the swarm of dragons. If we close the _Gate_ we won't be able to buy the _Eclipse Cannon_."

Ruby then approached her. "You won't be able to fire it anyway. That being is not a weapon, it's just a game that connects from points in time."

"It contains a massive amount of magic power, the Cannon releases it all in one blast!"

"Don't be ridiculous, I'm telling you it isn't a weapon!"

Throk then placed himself between her and the Princess. "That another of you young lady. Don't forget that you're speaking this kingdom is Princess."

Ruby looked a very annoyed. "It's nothing but a gateway leading to 800 years in the past!"

Then suddenly the entire ground began to shake.

"What's happening?" Merrill asked.

"This rambling is intense," said Skullcrusher.

The shaking spread all across the city and the built within the Crystal Plaza.

"What's that?" Astrid frowned. "Magic, but from where?"

"Looks like it's coming from the castle," said Snotlout.

"Yeah, it's got to be the _Eclipse_ thing," Ragnar concluded.

Hiccup then stepped up. "I don't think be that lucky."

Mala had toppled over and Throk quickly bent towards. "Princess…"

"There's no need to worry," she said. "I'm all right."

Everyone's eyes was turning towards the _Eclipse_ , because what they saw chilled their very bones.

"My eyes," said Darton standing there in shock. "Do they deceive me?"

"I'm afraid not Minister," said Valka as she gripped her staff tightly.

"We're goners," said Toothless.

"Is that thing real?" a soldier asked.

Emerging from the _Eclipse Gate_ was a dragon, a very large dragon which was the size of a small mountain. It had very large claws, its tail resembled that of a mace and had six eyes, and its scales were a dark blue with red spikes on its shoulders.

It took several steps forward and with every single step the ground shook and the sordid quickly backed away from it. It then roared so loudly that it could be heard across the entire city.

Mala just stared open eyed. "A dragon came through the _Gate_? How could this happen?"

The dragons then roared once again and the soldiers found themselves toppling over by its power. Its roars were so powerful that the ground began to break away destroying the statues within the courtyard.

Valka began spinning her staff around creating windshield to protect her and the others from its power. Throk shielded Mala with his body and the remains strong and then it slammed its massive claw into the ground sending a massive shock wave which ran across the entire city.

The shockwave slammed right through the side of the Crystal Plaza much to the bewilderment of _Dragon Tail_.

"Where did that blast come from?" Astrid asked.

"A force of nature," said Hiccup.

"Does that mean they're here?" Sting asked.

"I think they are," said Rogue.

At the courtyard of a dragon roared once again.

"Stay close, Princess," said Throk placing himself between her and the dragon. "Do not leave my side."

The soldiers just stared at the dragon in shock.

"This can't be happening."

"We don't stand a chance!"

"That thing will polarise us!"

"Yeah, we're as good as dead."

The dragon then roared again.

Then to make matters worse, the second dragon began to emerge out of the _Gate._ This one was shorter than the other one and it had very stubby legs. However, its fangs were razor sharp and it had a powerful looking tail as well was a strong pair of wings and its scales were as blue as the ocean.

"Odin's beard, its humongous," said a soldier.

"What in the name of Thor is going on?"

"Here comes another one!"

The soldier was right a third dragon had emerge from the _Gate_. This one was very powerful looking and had a set of fiery red scales. Its wings were attached to its front legs and they could see that it claws the razor sharp. Then suddenly burst into flames much to their shock.

It then roared sending shivers down their spines.

The three dragons then began to move away from the _Gate_ and towards the city leaving everyone in shock.

A fourth dragon emerge from the _Gate_. This one has no had no wings, but had a pair of very strong looking legs. It had black scales with yellow lines running across his back. It was also unleashing a strange kind of mucus from its back.

"Damn, they just keep coming!" a soldier yelled.

"Protect the Princess!"

"Hold your ground men!"

Ruby quickly placed her hands on Mala's shoulder, who was still in shock. "Please tell me how to close the gate."

"Okay," said Mala. Though she was still in shock. "Well, uh…"

"Come on, hurry!" Ruby yelled. "This is no time to be spacing out!"

That knocked Mala to her senses. "Sorry," she said and pointed towards a pedestal. "The pedestal over there."

Ruby turned her head and saw the pedestal. "The pedestal? You mean that?"

Ruby then quickly ran towards the pedestal as quickly as he could. However, before she could reach it the flaming dragon then roared sending her flying into Merrill.

"I don't know he can close it in time!" Merrill cried.

"Watch me."

She then picked herself up and ran as quickly as he could towards the pedestal as the dragon releasing the mucus roared causing her to fall face first onto the ground. She then outstretched arm towards the pedestal's handle.

"I hope this is all it takes!" Ruby cried. "I've got to use all my _Celestial_ power!"

Mala just couldn't believe her eyes. "I had it wrong this whole time. The attacking dragons come through the _Gate_."

A fifth dragon exited from the _Gate_. This one has no had no wings, but had a pair of very strong looking legs. It had black scales with yellow lines running across his back. It was also unleashing a strange kind of mucus from its back.

Valka looked at Ruby. "How did you know this was going to happen?"

"I can't take any credit!" Ruby yelled as he attempted to close the gate by pulling on the handle on the pedestal. "It's all thanks to grampa Crux! He's been studying the gain and he's just finished his final analysis! Apparently the Chronicler created the gate by channelling magic from the _Books of Drago_ with _Celestial Spirit Magic_! Normally it would allow you to travel to any time period you choose, but that's not the case today! You see the full moon above us? That is what's causing the magic to go crazy!"

Throk looked at the lunar eclipse. "Because of the moon?"

"It sounds ridiculous, but it's true! It's making the gate go out of control and it's locked on one time period! And that just happens to be the air aware dragons ruled over Midgard!"

Darton stared at it in shock. "My Thor! This wasn't what we were told. They lied to us."

* * *

The dragons that had exited from the _Gate_ were now landing across the city causing mayhem where ever they landed. A single touch from them destroying the buildings surrounding them and the Guilds that had gathered just stared in shock.

"I don't believe my eyes," said Astrid.

"You've got to be kidding me," Ragnar stared. "We're expecting thousands of those things?"

"No way," said Snotlout.

"Believe it," said Hiccup looking at them. "I fear that we've entered into another Dragon War and the last one nearly destroyed the elves. Of course last time the dragons siding with them and there were many _Dragon Slayers_ afraid in this present day we don't have that luxury."

Even the dragons' roar was causing devastation across the city.

"Everybody spread out," Stoick ordered. "If we stay clustered together we risk being wiped out in one fell swoop!"

"Right!" everyone yelled.

* * *

Then two dragons emerge at the same time from the gate would certainly cause a mass panic as these ones looked pretty tough.

One of them was very large and had three sets of jaws which were razor sharp. It also had a bloated like tail and a strong pair of short wings. The other one was more serpent-like and had a large round with a set of vicious jaws with pale white scales and burning red eyes.

"Look here comes two more!"

"They looked pretty vicious!"

Ruby was still attempting to try and close the gate.

"Please hurry!" Merrill pleaded. "Why is it taking you so long to close it?"

"The longer it takes more dragons are going to make it through the gate!" Toothless cried.

"Come on," Ruby pleaded. "Why can't I get this stupid thing to close?"

Mala just stood there in a daze as you try to process what just happened.

"It's all my fault," she said.

"Princess, we need to get you somewhere safe," said a soldier.

"The world is coming to an end all because of my incompetence."

The dragon with the three sets of jaws and slammed his leg into the ground creating a massive earthquake. It was so powerful that Ruby was flung away from the pedestal.

"No Ruby!" Skullcrusher cried.

Then the serpent-like dragon roared and it was much louder than any of the other dragon so far. It was so loud that everyone had to cover their ears and even still could hear it.

"That brings so loud!" a soldier yelled.

"How'd we find anything like that?"

Mala was now crying. "My kingdom… will forever be stained… with the blood of innocents."

Ruby was blown back away from the _Gate_. "I refuse to let this happen!" she yelled defiantly. She then picked herself up and ran back towards the pedestal. "I have to do this, not just from me, but for the future. I have to do this, even if it kills me!"

The dragons were now making their way across the city destroying everything in their path. It was a good thing that the civilians had been evacuated prior to the attack, but if they did not close the _Gate_ the destruction so far with pale in comparison to the onslaught that was destined to happen.

The rumblings of the attack could be heard all over the city including within the castle where Ultear and Orara was still attending to the Hiccup from the future.

"All this rambling, has it already been opened?" Orara said in shock.

* * *

Hiccup was still sinking into the shadows and remained unconscious. Ultear was doing her best to make sure that he didn't think any further, but if they did not wake up he would be gone forever.

"Wake up, Hiccup!" Ultear pleaded. "You've got to fight this!" She then looked around wildly. "I don't know what I should do now?" Then Hiccup placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hiccup?"

Hiccup had finally regained consciousness. "I still got a job to do," he said as he pulled himself out. "I have to keep my promise."

* * *

Ruby was now grasping hold the pedestal once again tried to close it with all her might.

"I won't stop until it's done," she said determinedly.

"I'm going to save the future!" Hiccup and Ruby yelled in unison from two different locations.

People were beginning to panic as the dragons were unleashed across the city.

"How many more of those things are going to come through the _Gate_?" Skrullcrusher stared in horror.

"10,000," said Cloudjumper.

"We need a shepherd right away," said Stormfly.

A soldier looked to Mala. "Princess, you need to evacuate. It's far too dangerous here."

"He's right, leave while you can!"

Mala just continued to stare in shock. "I can't believe it. What have I done? I destroyed my kingdom."

"Hurry at Ruby!" Toothless cried. "You've got to close it before it's too late!"

Ruby kept on pulling on the handle on the pedestal, but no matter what she was unable to make it barge.

"I know you can do it!" Valka yelled.

An eighth dragon had now emerged from the _Gate_. This one looks like a moving skeleton, because surrounding its body was bones from different dragons and the way they performed made it look vicious and menacing.

"This one looks is covered in bones!" a soldier cried.

Ruby kept on trying to close the _Gate_ , but she didn't have enough power.

Throk bit his lip. "She doesn't have enough _Celestial_ power to close it on her own."

"I can help!" a voice cried.

Everyone immediately turned and saw running towards them were both Vala and Adelaide. Vala was now out of the military uniform and back in her normal attire during the Games.

"Vala!" Toothless yelled with relief.

"And Adelaide," Merrill smiled.

"If we're going to pull this off Ruby I'm going to need you to take out your Zodiac keys!" Vala yelled as she ran. "All we have to do is combine our powers and we should be able to seal the _Gate_!"

Ruby looked back at her. "Using our spirits?"

"Are you ready?" Vala yelled as she tossed her two Zodiac keys into the air.

"Yeah, let's go!" Ruby yelled tossing her 10 Zodiac keys.

Immediately the 12 Zodiac keys formed a circle and then they glow with a golden light. Everyone stopped panicking to stare at it.

"Are those keys?" a soldier asked.

"I've never seen glow like that."

Then both Ruby and Vala knelt down on the ground facing one another. They then joined hands and began to concentrate all that power.

" _Oh, Celestial Spirit of the Zodiac_ …" Vala began.

" _Lender us your strength to seal away the wicked_ …" Ruby chanted.

" _Open…_ "

" _Gates of the 12 Zodiac Signs!_ "

Then suddenly burst of golden light from the keys and surrounded the two of them which was then followed by the sounds of a bell.

" _The Zodiac!_ " they yelled in unison.

Immediately 12 circles started to appear around each one bearing the sign of each of the Zodiac members. Then the Zodiac members themselves appeared within those golden circles. Never before in history have all 12 members of the Zodiac had come together in the human world at the same time.

"Oh, wow," said the soldier breathlessly.

"Pretty cool, huh?"

"It's amazing all the _Celestial Spirits_."

"Please help us," Ruby pleaded.

Immediately the 12 of them launched into the air with a bright golden aura surrounding them. Then with Leo leading them they each placed all the strength of the doors of the _Gate_ and began to push it shut. Just in time at another Dragon was attempting to break through at that precise moment.

It tried to push open the gate from its side, but the strength of the Zodiac's spirit were far greater and the door began to close. The dragon roared from behind the _Gate_ as an attempt to enter into their time zone, but it was all for not. The gate then closed ceiling the gateway preventing any more dragons from entering into their time.

With their job done the Zodiac spirits began to vanish.

"We did it," Ruby smiled.

Then both she and Vala fell into each other's arms as they were both quite exhausted from unleashing such concentrated magic power.

"You save the day!" Merrill cheered jumping up and down excitedly.

The soldiers also cheered.

"Way to go ladies!"

However, Throk was still looking quite grim. "It's too soon to start celebrating." He then turned to the soldier. "Do we know how many dragons made it through?"

"Yes, nine of them sir."

Throk looked annoyed.

Valka then approached him. "At least it's not 10,000. By closing the gate so early we have prevented the disaster that my future son described."

"You just had to go and ruin my plans, didn't you?" said a voice behind them.

They immediately turned and found that the Rogue from the future was now facing them looking annoyed. However, her annoyed look quickly turn towards a smile.

"No matter, I'm sure that nine dragons are more than enough," she shrugged.

"Enough? For what?" Vala stared.

"Yeah, and what happened to Hiccup?" Ruby asked.

Rogue ignored the questions. "To be honest, 10,000 is too many to control."

Valka narrowed her eyes at him. "You want to explain yourself?"

"That's the traitor," said Mala. "The one that lied about the _Eclipse Cannon_."

Throk immediately narrowed her eyes at her. "That scandal is the time traveller, who fooled you."

"So this is why you are so against me of closing the _Gate_ ," said Ruby narrowing her eyes.

Rogue then laughed. He then looked over the dragons that were flying in the air. "My ignorant subjects! Listen and take heed! I hereby proclaim this the end of this era for those who walk the earth."

Somehow the nine dragons there had emerged through the _Gate_ were listening to her words and landed on the ground behind her. Of course with the dragon with no wings, rushed around across the ground faster than anyone could blink.

"I will usher in a new age, the era of dragons!" she announced.

The dragons then roared and everyone just stared wondering how she was able to control these dragons.

"I order you to slaughter all the Vikings in this city, I want every one of them dead!" she ordered.

Instantly the nine dragons went their separate ways across the city.

"I can't believe the dragons are actually obeying her," Stormfly stared.

"She did mention something about controlling them," said Skullcrusher. "Is it a spell?"

Rogue merely laughed. "That's right, the secret art of controlling dragons. Drago wants to use this power to control many dragons during the Dragon Wars 800 years ago, but then it was lost to time. However, I have rediscovered this magic, _Dragon Taming Magic!_ "

"So that's how he was planning to control them," said Toothless.

Then the larger of the nine dragons landed behind her and she immediately jumped onto its back. Then with a massive flap of wings the giant dragon launched back up into the air.

"I wonder what she's planning to do," said Adelaide.

"Yeah, I wish I could tell you," said Merrill.

"What could she possibly have to gain by doing this?" Vala frowned.

"I have no idea," said Valka. "But whatever the reason we cannot allow this to happen."

"I think I'll leave these prophetic souls to you, Zirconis" said Rogue turning her head.

Immediately they turned and saw Zirconis flying towards them, but he was now pretty much alive and judging from the look in his eyes he was very hungry.

"What tasty looking morsels," said he said licking his lips.

"Oh no, not him," said Toothless.

"It's the same dragon we met in the graveyard," said Ruby.

"What do we do?" Merrill panicked.

* * *

The dragon covered in flames meanwhile had landed in the Crystal Plaza where it was met by _Dragon Tail_.

"Look it's huge!" Wartihog yelled.

"No, it can't be real!" Helga yelled.

"We're so dead," said Ingrid.

"That's a dragon?" Speedfist gasped.

"And it can set itself on fire?" Wartihog stared.

"That's because it's a Monstrous Nightmare, a Fire Dragon," said Eret.

"There is a good thing we have a _Fire Dragon Slayer_ with us," said Ragnar. He then turned around and found that Hiccup was gone. "Or we did?"

"Great, the one time we need him, he runs off like a coward," Snotlout grumbled.

Astrid narrowed her eyes at him. "If he's not here that means you got somewhere more important to be."

"What's more important than this?" Spitelout grumbled.

"That's enough!" Stoick yelled. "We can wonder why Hiccup left later, but right now we need to take this dragon down!" Then they'll charge straight towards the Monstrous Nightmare. "Just follow my lead and go for its feet!"

"It's time to put a plan into action guys!" said Speedfist.

"Right!" everyone yelled.

"I am the Dragon Helheim, prepare to take my hellfire! You pathetic creatures!" the dragon roared.

Unleashed a burst of flames from his mouth right in front of them creating a massive wall of fire so powerful that it sent them all backwards.

"Stay strong!" Stoick yelled, being the only person not to be blown away.

* * *

Meanwhile _Sabretoot_ h were facing head-on with the wingless dragon.

"What kind of dragon doesn't have wings?" Orga asked.

"A Cavern Crasher, it's a Cavern Dragon," said Sting. "And don't let its size fool you it's pretty quick, placid able to unleash flammable mucus from its back."

Orga looked disgusted by this. "Now that's just nasty."

"Get gross out later," said Sting. "Right now it's time for an all-out _Sabretooth_ assault! You guys ready?"

"We're ready," Rogue nodded. Immediately they charged at the Cavern Crasher. "Go for the insight its mouth, its stomach or any other soft parts."

The dragon with the three sets of jaws then landed in front of _Blue Pegasus_ , _Thor's Hammer_ and _Valkyrie's Sword_.

"Man, it's a _Catastrophic Quaken_ ," said Olatrand. "It's said that it's capable of creating earthquakes by just walking. It would seem as if dragons are more terrifying than I ever believed, even so were not going to shy away. This is the chance to show the might of _Blue Pegasus_."

* * *

Elsewhere other members of the Guild were attacking the short and stubby looking dragon with everything they had. Among the Guild Vikings were _Twilight Ogre_ and unleashing everything they had at it.

"Throw everything you've got at it!" a dwarf yelled.

"Send it back to the Stone Age!" said the cloaked elf.

"Let's go!" Tabor roared.

The only so many attacks that it caused us to rise hiding the Dragon from view.

"I think we've got it!" the dwarf yelled.

However when the dust cleared it was still standing.

"Seriously?" the dwarf stared.

"There's not even a scratch on it," said a female elf.

"By Thor," Tabor stared.

* * *

Elsewhere other Vikings were trying to concentrate their power into a single burst at the dragon with sharp-looking wings.

"Concentrate your power at one spot!"

"You're going down you overgrown lizard!"

"Take this!"

However when the unleashed the attack the dragon merely knotted back by swinging its head. Then it flapped its wings together sending a powerful shockwave across the street decimating the building surrounding it.

* * *

Blazing Fenrir were facing against the walking graveyard of a dragon.

"Is that thing wearing armour over its armour?" Magnus asked.

Thuggory shook his head. "No, it's a Boneknapper, I remember reading about them in the Book of Dragons. Apparently it where is the bones of different armour to give itself more protection, this means fighting its weak spot is going to be difficult."

Bacchus licked his lips. "Well, my soul is definitely shaken and stirred."

* * *

Elsewhere Royal soldiers firing everything they got at the serpent-like dragon. Sadly the magic attack were having no effect on it whatsoever. Of course this didn't stop them from attacking, but many of the soldiers were starting to grow wary.

"Bring it down! Bring it down!" the captain ordered.

"Sir, nothing is working!"

"Just keep firing!"

Then the serpent-like dragon unleashed a barrage of spines from its serpent-like tail decimating the soldiers.

* * *

Meanwhile back with the Catastrophic Quaken the Viking Guild there were about to make their move.

"Well, it's certainly a hardy creature," Jura noted. "Magic has no effect on it whatsoever."

"Might I suggest we focus our attacks on one spot?" Camicazi suggested.

Jura nodded. "Yes, let us combine our efforts."

"Very well then I shall take the first stab at it," said Camicazi as he raised her sheathed sword.

Jura nodded in agreement.

Camicazi immediately drew her sword and struck as the creature slammed its blood like tail towards them. Sadly, the dragon scales were to turn and she was sent flying in the blood destroyed the house next to them.

"Camicazi!" Jura yelled. He then solvable heading straight towards them. "Watch out everyone!"

Immediately they all jumped out of the way just before the rubble landed where they were standing a few seconds ago.

 _Blue Pegasus_ had jumped safely away onto one of the nearby buildings and they saw the dragon turning towards them.

"Man, man oh man I use some _Defence Lowering Parfum_ , but it doesn't seem to have any effect at all," said Olatrand.

He then slammed his leg right into the building and it crumbled the moment it made contact. This naturally sent the members of _Blue Pegasus_ flying.

"How infuriating," said Camicazi looking annoyed.

"It hasn't taken on any damage," Jura stared.

"Because its scales are nearly impenetrable."

"I don't know if it's possible for ordinary Vikings to slay dragons."

None of the other dragons were slow down the other members of the Guilds or the Royal Army. They kept on walking around destroying buildings in their wake and it looked for a moment that nothing was going to stop them.

* * *

Flying over the city on six eyes dragon was Rogue and she was enjoying the show.

"Yes, that's it," she said. "Good work my minions, rampage and this city apart. Show them the utter adultery rage of dragons!"

She then stopped when they passed the tower and saw standing there was Hiccup, but this was not the one from the future. Instead glaring straight at her was the present Hiccup.

"It's you, Hiccup Haddock," she said.

The two of them then glared at one another and anyone looking at them could tell that this next fight would shake the very heavens.


	68. Nine Dragons

Rogue looked at Hiccup as he glared up at her. It was clear that he knew who she was, but that in itself was a mystery.

"How do you know of me?" Rogue asked.

"My future so contact me telepathically, and told me everything," he said clutching his fist. "And I'm going to put a stop to you!"

Rogue looked unimpressed. "You fool. Your future self had a year of experience and I took him down. What makes you think that your fare any better?"

"Because I've got something worth fighting for," said Hiccup narrowing his eyes.

"Don't you see that it's hopeless and you're about to die."

She then immediately ordered the dragon she was standing on the charged towards him and it smashed right through the tower. Hiccup, however was able to jump to safety and landed on top of the dragon. He then unleashed a burst of flames and charged at Rogue, but she merely turned her shadow and avoided the attack completely.

She then appeared directly behind him and he quickly unleashed her dragon breath attack. When the smoke cleared, all he was able to do was push her back and she didn't even look phased.

"Come now, do you truly believe you can beat me when your future self could not?" Rogue scoffed. "And you've already been worn out from fighting within the Games. I remember you completely exhausted yourself after your battle with Jura. You have exhausted all your resources, struggle all you like you have no chance of victory."

"You said the same thing to me and I was able to beat you if you recall," Hiccup reminded.

Then suddenly the Dragon they were standing on tilted herself and Hiccup found himself skidding across her scales and fell of her. However he quickly landed on the nearby roof and began running across it and then jumped grasping hold of one of the dragon scales. He then started to pull himself back onto the dragons back.

Rogue merely scoffed at his attempts. "Shake off that parasite."

The dragon then try to shake off, but Hiccup's grip was too strong and he started to make his way across her back with a firm hold.

"You're wasting your energy."

A dragon and collided with another tower and Hiccup found himself once again flung off her back. However, he was able to use cover the debris as a launchpad and began jumping from rubble to rubble and grabbed hold of her leg.

"Nice try, you can't get rid of me that easily," he said as he began to climb back onto her back.

"Your tenacity is remarkable," Rogue admitted. "But it ultimately pointless."

Hiccup was breathing quite heavily. Rome wasn't lying when she said that he had been exhausted himself on his battle with Jura.

"This city is doomed!" Rogue announced.

The dragon they were standing on then launched into the sky giving Hiccup a perfect view of the destruction that was being caused by the dragons. About half of the dragons were now unleashing their breath attacks breath attack upon the city bringing it to rubble.

Rogue merely laughed. "It will soon be nothing more than a pile of rubble and ash."

Hiccup narrowed his eyes at her. "What are you trying to accomplish with all this destruction? Tell me!"

Rogue merely stood there folding her arms and remained utterly silent as if she hadn't heard Hiccup's question.

* * *

Meanwhile Alistair and Alron were watching the destruction from the outskirts of the city.

"100977," said Alron.

Alistair looked quite grim. "As much I hate to admit it, he may yet prove useful at this point this time." He then looked at Alron. "Are you certain we can trust the words of a criminal such as Jellal? I have my doubts."

Alron shrugged. "Me too, but he did make an extremely convincing argument."

Alistair then turned back to the destruction in front of them. "Giving his tarnished history, we must proceed with caution. Is this just another scheme?"

"There is simply no other choice. Trusting him is our only option now. The fate of the entire kingdom is at stake."

Alistair looked reluctant, but knew that he was right.

* * *

Meanwhile at _Dragon Tail_ was facing against Helheim, who was looking quite fierce covered in flames.

"Has the city's evacuation been completed?" Astrid asked.

"Aye, lass, just about done," Gobber nodded.

"They're safe, the Royal Army is protecting them," said Gustav.

"Oh, yeah!" Dogsbreath cried. "And that means we can start to let loose on these stupid losers!"

"It's about time that we can cut loose!" Snotlout yelled.

"There are nine dragons," said Stoick looking at Hiccup the First. "You fought against the dragons during the Dragon Wars?"

"To be honest, I'm not sure," he said looking at him. "Even dragon slayers have a hard time piercing through their hide. It took a massive amount of training for them to penetrate their scales and to actually slay one. It wasn't for the fact that I was now a disembodied spirit, I could have easily turned the tide of this conflict."

"Then what do you suggest we do, First Master?"

"The only thing you can do, do whatever you can to neutralise them."

Stoick nodded. "Then will do whatever it takes."

Both Ragnar and Heather were smiling as they faced against Helheim.

"Looks like a Fire Dragon, to me," said Ragnar. He then looked at Heather. "What you say we take a crack at him Heather?"

Heather smiled. "I thought you would never ask. Though I must say you suddenly have an interesting way of showing a girl a good time?"

Ragnar shrugged. "How was I supposed to know that we would been attacked by a squadron of dragons?"

"Hey, Romeo and Juliet, how are you concentrated the fire breathing dragon in front of you instead of making out?" Snotlout called.

Immediately the two of them turned on him. "When not making out?"

"Then focus on the fire breathing dragon!" he counted.

"Let's go," said Ragnar extending his hand.

"Gladly," she said doing the same.

They then grasped hands with each other.

"I need you to focus," said Ragnar.

Immediately the two of them then began to focus their magic power like they did when they faced against Lyon and Shanyla.

"All right, now hit them hard you guys!" Dogsbreath cried.

"Show that blaming freak what _Dragon Tail_ can do!" Snotlout yelled.

" _Ice-Make: Geyser!_ " Ragnar yelled.

" _Water Nebula!_ " Heather yelled.

Immediately the two of them unleashed a powerful burst of magic. First it was water, but as it flowed towards Helheim it began to freeze and the moment it struck the dragon steam began to cover the entire street as a massive explosion of water and ice.

Unfortunately, when the steam dispelled Helheim looked completely unfazed by the attack.

Ragnar stared. "It didn't do anything!"

"No way," Heather gasped. "We combined our magic and hid it with our full magic power?"

Helheim was now making his way towards them slowly. "Foolish creatures, I am the mighty Helheim, my fire consumes all that stands before me. Now prepare to have your lives burnt away!"

He then began to take in a deep breath preparing to unleash a dragon breath attack.

Fenris quickly drew his rapier. "How not buy it! With my enchantment magic!"

Immediately elven ruins began to appear in front of him just as Helheim unleashed his breath attack upon them. Fenris stood his ground as best as he could, but he was soon blown away by the explosion and the attack kept on its course.

Fortunately he was able to weaken it so the attack did kill anyone, but it was still have enough force to put everyone off their feet and set the entire street ablaze.

"He blasted through Fenris' spell like it was nothing!" Dogsbreath yelled.

"It's way stronger than I feared," said Gobber gravely. "This is insane."

"What's really insane is that there are eight more of those things," Spitelout reminded.

Astrid still have to use a clutch to stand up straight, but he wasn't giving in. "We can't lose hope, we have to keep fighting!"

Fenris was on his back on the ground. "Is everyone okay?"

"You've got to be kidding me," said Snotlout. "This is just what we went through with Acnologia."

"I hope this ends differently," Ragnar winced.

Hiccup the First's face was grim. "It's clear that we have a long and dangerous struggle ahead of us."

"Don't worry, we still have a couple of tricks up our sleeve," said Stoick as he took a few steps forward.

"Still standing after the roasting I gave you!" said Helheim narrowing his eyes. "You must be a Vikings."

Stoick then slammed his foot into the ground. "Damn, right we are!"

Astrid turned. "Master?"

"What you going to do?" Heather asked.

Immediately Stoick's body began to glow with a golden aura.

Gobber smiled. "He's about to go all out on this reptile."

Spitelout nodded. "He's gonna give him a good old royal smack down."

Gustav watched as Stoick began to glow. "Awesome! I've never seen this before!"

Stoick was now in his giant form and then turned on Helheim. " _Dragon Tail_ are no ordinarily Vikings! The power we share is like none other!" He then swung a gigantic test that Helheim and struck the fiery dragon all his might. "Because we are a family!"

The moment is this made contact a powerful shockwave across the street and everyone held it but only if they could to the ground. However, to everyone's shock, Stoick's attack deemed phase Helheim one bit, in fact he didn't seem to have noticed.

Suddenly Stoick's hand corner ablaze and he quickly pulled away from the dragon. He quickly distinguished the flames and faced his reptilian opponent.

"All that power and nothing!" Gobber stared.

"It didn't even faze him," said Spitelout.

"No way," Gustav gaped.

"There is nothing you can do," said Helheim. "You vile creatures will never defeat a dragon!"

He then unleashed a powerful burst of flames at Stoick, who found himself losing ground and soon he and the other members of _Dragon Tail_ were blown away.

* * *

Elsewhere _Thor's Hammer, Blue Pegasus_ and _Valkyrie's Sword_ was still facing the Catastrophic Quaken, with very little success.

"Take this," Neria cried holding out her hands. " _Kitten Blast!_ "

She then fired a magical blast at the Catastrophic Quaken, but the attack nearly bounced off its scales.

"It's useless," said Arvin. "Sorry guys, but our magic is just no match for this thing."

Neria yelled in frustration. "This sucks!"

"Perhaps, you should fall back for now," Lyon advised. "A girl like you is only going to get hurt."

Neria immediately glared at him. "What the heck do you mean by that, pig? As I remember, you want much of a force to be reckoned with back in the arena!"

Lyon then took several steps forward. "That was just for entertainment so I was holding back. This is a life or death battle." He then places hands together. " _Ice-Make: Snow Dragon!_ "

Immediately forming around him was his icy Snow Wraith.

"That's right!" Arvin smiled. "We've got our own dragon!"

"Great idea, Lyon!" Ursula smiled as he began spinning around. "And since I didn't think of it I have to keep on spinning!"

"I'm not done," said Lyon holding out his hands again. " _Ice-Make: Ape! Ice-Make: Snow Tiger_ "

Then appearing behind him was an icy gorilla and tiger.

"Three beasts at once," Camicazi nodded. "The very same technique used in our battle."

Jura nodded. "Yes, we can outnumber it."

Lyon turned his head at Camicazi. "If you recall, this technique wasn't enough for me to win the match."

"I'll help you," said Jura as he jumped on top of the icy gorilla. He then turned to Camicazi. "Miss Camicazi join with us!"

Camicazi nodded and jumped on top of the icy dragon. "Let's go," she said with a firm grip on her sword.

This left Lyon to ride on top of the icy tiger. "If we can work together, we can take this beast down."

Immediately they charged towards the Quaken.

"I shall draw my _Archenemy_ blade," said Camicazi as he unsheathed her blade once again. "And even though it may shatter, my fighting spirit shall never be broken!"

"I am prepared to use my full power!" Jura yelled.

"In the sacred name of my Master Ur, I will not give up!" Lyon announced.

Immediately the three of them then jumped into the air.

"We're all counting on you! Fight!" Arvin yelled. "Use every ounce of strength you have! We cannot let that monster win!"

Immediately the three of them unleashed their magic powers within their attacks and they struck the Quaken with everything they had. Sadly, it wasn't enough, and the three of them were bounced back and then the Quaken struck Lyon's creations with its bludgeon like tail shattering them to pieces.

The three of them landed on the ground, a bit winded, but otherwise all right.

Neria just stared at the Quaken with horror. "That didn't hide it at all, what are we going to do?"

"Keep fighting," said Camicazi stubbornly as he drew her blade again. "We cannot afford to give up any ground."

"It's up to us to protect the city!" Jura nodded.

"I would never dream of surrendering," said Lyon firmly.

* * *

Meanwhile they could see the destruction of the city from the courtyard and Zirconis was looking at the destruction with great interest.

"Ah, they're really going at it, aren't they?" he said. "You creatures have always been entertaining."

He then laughed.

"It's Zirconis," said Merrill.

"Except this time he isn't a ghost," said Toothless.

"Yeah, but he still pretty much a loudmouth in the flesh," said Ruby spitefully.

Zirconis looked down at them. "Why are you so surprised? I'm not the type that mindlessly destroy everything like some of these other dragons. I'm a great conversationalist, not to break too much, but I've always been a more intellectual and the sophisticated my other brethren.

"But you're all rambling, completely frozen in fear. I do strike terror in your hearts, don't I? If you want to run now is your chance. Of course they'll just mean that I'll have to chase you down to eat you."

Merrill then stepped forward. "Please, tell me something!"

Zirconis looked at her intriguingly. "Ah, what is this? You want to have a chat with me little girl?"

"Why do you all come here?" Merrill asked. "Why are you destroying our home like this?"

"You wanna know why? Do tell you the truth, that's who you should be asking," said Zirconis pointing with his claw.

They all turned and saw him pointing at Rouge, who was standing on the six eyed dragon.

"You see Red Death flying around up there?" he asked. "Well that elves perched on top is the one that's calling all the shots on this thing."

"That's the Rouge that came from the future, isn't it?" said Merrill.

"Don't get me wrong, not one of you creatures are going the boss me around, but this was a pretty fun idea so I went along with it."

Ruby frowned. "I don't get it. Why would she want these dragons to destroy the world like this? I mean if they're really able to do it, then she won't have anywhere to call home either."

* * *

Meanwhile far away from the Crocus and in Era Alron was making his way down to a maximum security prison.

"Oh, Mr Alron, I've been expecting you sir," said a guard.

"You told no one about this, right?" Alron asked as they walked down the corridor.

"Of course not."

"100977 is this way?"

"Yes, sir, but…" said the guard nervously. "We really don't have the proper authorisation to be here right now."

"This is a dire situation," said Alron plainly. "We don't have the time to go through the red tape. I'll take full responsibility."

"But sir…" The guard and placed a hand on his shoulder. "There are certain rules that need to be—" Then Alron then punched him hard in the gut knocking the wind out of him. "What are you doing?"

He then fell to the ground and was knocked unconscious.

Alron continue to make his way down the corridor. "I'm sorry, but time is of the essence."

He kept on walking until he approached the cell door with the number 100977. He then looked squarely at the applicant inside.

"Attention, 100977," he said.

The prison merely huffed. "So it is you? I thought I could hear you coming for me."

* * *

Meanwhile in the capital, the battle against the dragons was not going smoothly. _Sabretooth_ was getting overwhelmed by the Cavern Crusher as it had just unleashed its new cut across a good portion of the city and then set it ablaze.

Immediately there was a massive amounts of explosions turning the nearby houses into rubble. It then roared angrily at _Sabretooth_.

"So this is the power a dragon possesses," said Ilos. "As sites that I'm certain I will never forget."

Orga smiled. "This is perfect, I was knocked out of that last round way quicker than I thought. I'm ready to throw down!" He then began to form sparks of black lightning from his hands. "I'm gonna blow this creep away!"

He then slammed his hands together. " _Lightening God's Dark Particle Cannon!_ "

He then unleashed a burst of black lightning from his hands which then struck the Cavern Crusher.

"As tribute to Ragnar Keatson, and his decisive victory over me, I will fight this foul creature using _Ice Magic!_ " said Ilos as his eyes began to glow a bright blue. " _Memory-Make: Sword of Frozen Black Lightning!_ "

He then unleashed a wave of ice which sent sparks of black lightning in every direction striking the Cavern Crusher with immense force. Ilos and Orga were combining their magic into one to overwhelm the dragon, something they had never done before.

"I never thought I'd see those two work together," said Sting. "I mean we were in the same Guild, but things were definitely not like this."

Rogue nodded. "Perhaps their experiences in the Games have taught them something."

" _Sabretooth_ is finally fighting like a real team," Hookfang beamed. "Everyone was just going out for themselves before. This is awesome!"

Skull smiled. "Nothing can beat us now."

"Yep, watching those _Dragon Tail_ guys in action was a real eye-opener," said Orga. "There's a good reason why they came in first place this year."

"Memorising is a form of learning and if you can't learn your enemy, you will never win," Ilos added.

They kept on pressing their attacks upon the Cavern Crusher with everything they had.

"If they keep this up, they're going to beat that thing," said Skull.

Hookfang nodded. "You bet they are."

However the Cavern Crusher merely flung its head upwards dispelling their attacks, intro they looked as if it had no effect on it whatsoever. The ice in front of them was shattered and the lightning was dispelled.

"We hit battling for long," Orga stared.

The Cavern Crusher then ward once again.

"That's impossible," Sting stared. "How is it still standing?"

"Get back Skull and Hookfang, do it now," Rogue ordered.

"Okay," said Hookfang as he ran.

Skull looked at Rogue. "Good luck," he said before chasing after Hookfang.

Sting looked at Rogue. "Just were in the Void did milady go? We could use her help right now."

"I don't know, I haven't seen her in a while, but I'm assuming she's fighting somewhere else."

The Cavern Crusher then roared once again.

"Can we even beat this monster?" Orga asked.

"I think it should be possible, if memory serves me Sting and Rogue both kill dragons when they were young," said Ilos.

Sting and Rogue looked at them slightly uneasy.

"Well, you're half right," said Sting.

* * *

Sting then remembered facing his Master Weisslogia nine years ago. They were in the words a good distance away from his clan, who were making preparations to move once again.

Weisslogia was a sleekly looking dragon with a fierce grow about his body with a very ghostlike appearance. Of course that was natural for a Flightmare as it was rumoured that the cloak could stop someone from moving by just looking at it.

"Sting, please," Weisslogia pleaded. "End my life."

Naturally Sting was very hesitant to do so. "I can't do that! Please, don't make me!" he begged.

"Those are real _Dragon Slayer Magic_ grow stronger once they bathed in dragon's blood."

"No! I'm not going to do it!"

"You must, prove that you have mastered the skills I've taught you."

Sting looked at him with tears in his eyes.

* * *

Back in the present, both Sting had just explained how he had slain his dragon master.

"Skiadrum suffered a serious illness so all I did is just put him out of his misery," Rogue explained.

"I didn't realise that what happened," said Ilos. "It must be a memory filled with great sorrow for you."

"But if you can kill dragons now is definitely the time to do it," said Orga.

The Cavern Crusher was still unleashing his mucus which exploded every time he was caught alight demolishing the nearby houses close by.

"These guys are way more powerful, I don't even know if we can kill them," said Sting.

"But we still have to try," said Rogue. "We have to protect our friends!"

* * *

Meanwhile riding on top of the Red Death, Hiccup was still staring up at Rogue demanding an answer from her.

"I told your future self-earlier that in seven years dragons would reign supreme over this world obliterating everything," she said looking down at him. "However, it won't be ruled by these you see before you today."

"So the ones that are destroying the city aren't going to be in charge," said Hiccup.

"That's right," Rogue nodded. "Seven years from now there will be only one creature that sits on top of the food chain. You've encountered him before, the Bewildebeast Acnologia."

"I find that hard to believe," said Hiccup.

"Many Vikings tried to take him down, but all were slain," Rogue explained. "And there are no more Guilds to speak of, they've been eradicated. I rediscovered the spell that Drago Bludvist was during the Dragon War to control dragons. However, it had no effect on Acnologia."

Hiccup looked up, because he had a good idea why Acnologia wasn't affected by his magic. The spirit of Zirconis explained to them that he had once been human, a _Dragon Slayer_ like himself. He became a Dragon King, despite his human origins. Since he was once human that might explain why Rogue was unable to control him.

"And now, he can only defeated by dragons led by me!" Rogue yelled.

Red Death then flew down towards the city and slammed her back into the houses knocking Hiccup of her once again.

"That's the reason you summon all the dragons!" Hiccup yelled as he fell.

"You're right again," Rogue smiled. "I travelled seven years across time, my plan was to convince Princess Mala to open the _Eclipse_ and summon countless dragons through that portal. I only managed to get a few dragon class before that meddlesome Ruby Heartfull got in my way. But because of my skill in using _Dragon Taming Magic_ , I have total control of all those who did pass through. Acnologia doesn't stand a chance against me now and once I play that coldhearted tyrant, I will be the Dragon Queen!"

"No you won't!" Hiccup yelled as he ran across the roof of the buildings.

He then jumped with all his might and swung a flaming fist at Rogue, but she merely backed away and is best slammed into the scales of Red Death.

She then had a crazed smile on her face. "Oh, how I've been dreaming for such power. It is within my grasp."

Hiccup narrowed his eyes. "I only smell nine dragons in the city."

"Nine dragons are all that I need, the world will soon belong to me."

"Then you've got some serious rotten luck."

Rogue stared at him. "Say what?"

* * *

Across the city, the Guild were still fighting with everything they had against the dragons, but there were just too strong. Camicazi's sword was unable to pierce through the armour of the Quaken and she found herself being bounced back to Lyon and Jura.

"Camicazi are you all right?" Lyon asked.

"I will be just fine," she assured him. "Do not worry about me."

Jura looked at everyone else. "Did those of you that have been injured please step back forward. Shanyla will help you."

Arvin was busy looking for his _Archive_ for anything that might give them an edge in the fight.

"Find anything?" Neria asked hopefully. "Does that tell you what we can do to stop the dragons?

Arvin shook his head. "I'm still working on it, I think the only way is attacking them with the full force of _Dragon Slayer Magic_."

* * *

Elsewhere _Sabretooth_ having the same problem Cavern Crusher.

"I think you're right, is the only hope we have left," said Sting. "We can't just go down without a fight."

"Let's do it," said Rogue. "It's up to us, we're _Dragon Slayers_ so let's show the world what that means."

* * *

 _Dragon Tail_ had barely recovered from Helheim's attack and now Stoick's hand had been burnt.

"Stoick!" Gobber yelled rushing to him.

"Are you okay?" Dogsbreath asked.

"Did it hurt you?" Gustav asked.

"No need to worry," he said wincing looking at his burned hands. "I just got a little burned that all."

Helheim was now approaching them.

"If not even the Master can stop it and the rest of us don't stand a chance," said Heather.

"Vile creature, there's got to be some other way," said Fenris clenching his fist.

Ragnar immediately turned to Hiccup the First. "Master Hiccup, you fought these creatures before and you are master strategist. Tell us what we can do."

Hiccup the First looked at them. "Listen up, there are nine dragons. The plan of action should be completely obvious at this point."

Ragnar frowned at him.

Astrid too was confused. "What are you trying to say?"

* * *

Meanwhile up in the air Rogue were still bewildered by Hiccup's comment.

"Where does luck play into this?" she asked. "This is about skill."

Hiccup merely smiled and then he drew _Inferno_ and channelled his _Fire Magic_ into it. Rogue's eyes widened when she realised what he was about to do and just stood there as Hiccup slammed his blade into the back of Red Death. The blade went straight through the scales and Red Death roared out in pain by the attack.

"What are you doing?" Rogue demanded.

All across the city everyone saw that Red Death had been injured.

"Can you hear me?" Hiccup yelled at the top of his voice. "It's time to finish this fight by using a _Dragon Slayer Magic_!"

Ruby smiled upon hearing the voice. "Is that Hiccup?"

"It sure is," said Toothless.

Sting smiled upon hearing his former Master's voice. "I hear you."

"There are nine dragons and we've got nine _Dragon Slayers_ , we can do this! It is what we are born for! Our whole lives have led to this day! Let's us our power and slay some dragons!"" Hiccup cried.

All the _Dragon Slayers_ listened to Hiccup's words, including his future self who was walking down the street.

"Time for us to secure our future," he said as he walked.

Rogue immediately looked at him with fury. "Damn you!"

Hiccup immediately doesn't for the plasma blast within his hand. "Who's with me? Because Dragon season is officially opened!" he cried.

He then fired a plasma blast at Red Death's back and immediately she cried in pain once again and pushing Rogue back.

"Nine Dragon slayers?" said Rogue as she tried to held her ground from the attack. "Even of your future self in the fray you're short by one!"

Hiccup smiled. "I can hear the last one coming."

* * *

On the outskirts of the city Arlon had returned with the prisoner and was now panting very hard.

"I appreciate you for going through the trouble," said Alistair.

Alron looked at him completely out of breath. "It's okay, he's here with us now."

Alistair then turned and looked the prisoner. "Dragons are attacking the city."

"You don't say," said the prisoner. "I already heard."

"We need your power," said Alron looking at him. "So will you help us?"

The prisoner was in fact Cobra and he was smiling evilly down into the city. "I hear you up there Hiccup, loud and clear."


	69. Zirconis' Magic

At the courtyard Mala was still in shock, because she blamed herself for unleashing the very plague of dragon she swore to prevent.

"This is horrible," she said. "What have I done? The world is as good as dead!"

Darton merely turned to face. "You aren't to blame for this Princess. The fault lies squarely upon scheming time traveller."

"Your Highness, you need to leave," said Throk. "You're in danger here."

Mala shook her head firmly. "No, I will remain. I have to, I have come too far to run."

Throk was quite grim. "Where ever you are _Dragon Slayers_ , it's all up to you now. Soon these creatures back to Helheim."

* * *

On the back of Red Death, Rogue was laughing at Hiccup's attempts at attacking the dragon they were standing on.

"Give up, Hiccup. For you are as helpless as any other pitiful creature on this world."

Hiccup narrowed his eyes at her. "I'll be the judge of that. Rest assured that I will do everything in my power to stop you, even if it kills me."

"Be careful what you say, it might come true," Rogue smirked. "Now Red Death!"

Hiccup turned towards the dragon's head which began to roar and something began to pop out of its underbelly.

* * *

On the ground everyone could see this and were now even more confused than before.

"Hey, what are those?" Tuffnut asked.

"I don't see anything," said Ruffnut.

Then suddenly raining down from the sky were strange objects that landed all across the city.

"No," Hiccup stared.

The objects were giant eggs and that causes much destruction as the dragons themselves.

"Are those giant eggs!" Snotlout stared.

"So, those things are dragon eggs?" Ruffnut asked.

"Yeah, and their big," said Tuffnut.

"Considering that the giants that laid them was the size of a small mountain what did you expect?" Snotlou huffed. "Let us be thankful that not going to hatch the moment they been laid."

Of course, the moment he said that the eggs began to crack. Soon emerging from them were smaller versions of Red Death, they were the size of a normal human man and they looked quite as vicious as their mother.

"Great, we're surrounded," said Gustav looking between the newly hatched dragons and Helheim.

"Unfortunately, the odds on this fight are not in our favour," said Hiccup the First gravely.

Fishlegs looked at Snotlout. "Not going to hatch, huh?"

"What do I know about dragons?" said Snotlout defensively.

Fishlegs then looked at the dragons. "Look at all them, they've got an army."

Gustav looked frustrated. "Dealing with one dragon was tough as it is."

Suddenly a powerful bolt of lightning struck Helheim with such force that it had to have an effect on him. It only took them a few seconds to realise that Alvin had launched himself at the dragon and dealt a devastating electric punch.

"It's Alvin," Gustav gasped.

"Quit gawking," said Alvin as lightning shot out from his body in all directions. "Or did you not notice that are dragons to slay. I'll of the big guy myself."

"You can't do it on your own!" Gustav yelled.

"He's not," said Fenris as he and the other members of the Thunder _Legion_ stepped forward.

"We've got his back," said Rubbella.

"The _Thunder Legion_ will handle this," said Fenris.

"We'll leave all the babies to you guys," said Dogsbreath.

Hiccup the First looked at them. "The rest of you keep away from the big ones, remember what Hiccup told us. Only _Dragon Slayers_ can beat them, but the infants do not have their scales yet which means they're quite vulnerable to other magical attacks." He then turned to Alvin. "Alvin, _Thunder Legion_ , good luck."

"Right," everyone nodded.

Hiccup the First then looked at Eret. "Eret, find another target."

He nodded. "You got it."

"Everyone else focus on the little ones."

"Yes, sir," Ragnar nodded.

Astrid readied her battleaxe. "Understood, First Master." She then looked at everyone else. "All right everyone, it's time to get to work people."

Ruffnut looked at Eret. "Eret, let me help. I can support you."

"Don't worry about me, you'll have your hands full," he said as he walked away. "Keep your guard up at the infants and good luck."

"You too," said Ruffnut.

Snotlout passed Rubbella. "Don't go dying."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I don't need you to tell me that you big dummy."

* * *

 _Sabretooth_ was still facing against the Cavern Crusher and Sting turned to Rogue.

"Rogue, I'll handle this one go and check on the other Guilds," he ordered. "We need a pick up the slack for any work out a _Dragon Slayer_."

Rogue nodded. "I'm on my way."

Sting then face the Cavern Crusher. "This is for Hiccup, for helping me find my courage!"

He then pulled out his blade and immediately was covered in holy light. He swung it and immediately sent a barrage of light straight at the Cavern Crusher which were having a massive amount of effect on it.

"Not that I was scared to fight," Sting smiled. "He gave me the courage to stand up all my friends!"

Rogue was running down the streets to locate another dragon. ' _The old_ Sabretooth _is dead, tonight is the start of a new era. From now on… we're moving forward._ '

* * *

In another corner of the city the Quaken was laughing down at _Blue Pegasus_ , who are now the only Guild facing the dragon itself.

"That guy on top of Red Death seems to be pretty worked up about something," he said

"Man, not having any _Dragon Slayers_ in our Guild is really making us look useless," said Cavin.

"Tell me about it, we can't even put up any kind of fight here," said Arvin.

"If we survive, we are so recruiting one," said Feralan.

"Then let us see if you can take a whiff of this," said Olatrand pulling out a vile and releasing its contents. "My most treasure parfum! Prepare your noses!"

One sniff of the aroma from his perfume instantly made _Blue Pegasus_ sick. It was hard to describe the odour, it was a mixture of rotten eggs, armpits and dung.

"What is this," said the Quaken.

"That is ripe," Cavin groaned.

"My nose has a burning," said Arvin.

"So nasty," said Feralan.

"What kind of parfum is that?" Ase groaned.

"The most pungent of all, _Underarm_ ," said Olatrand dramatically gesturing to his armpit.

Immediately his teammates groaned in disgust.

"Marvellous isn't it?" said Olatrand, who failed to notice his team now lying on the floor.

"That wasn't the first word that came to mind," Cavin groaned.

"You've outdone yourself," said Arvin weakly.

"Only a true stump would own up to that dench," Feralan groaned.

"You're concentrated manningless," Ase groaned fighting the urge to throw up.

"That should be to no sweat," Solatrand groaned.

However the Quaken merely laughed. "Dragons have a strong scent of smell, except me. My kind of dragon have poor sense of smell."

Olatrand then groaned in defeat.

"You worms are as foolish as always," said Quaken as he raised his but. "It's good to know that some things never change."

Olatrand and the other members of _Blue Pegasus_ got onto their feet and remains strong.

"If we die, we do it in style," said Olatrand.

Then before the Quaken could squash them something struck its back causing it to war in pain. They saw some sort of crimson liquid on its back and when it dispelled they found Cobra had just landed a powerful fist on the dragons back.

"I can hear it," he said.

"I know him," said Arvin.

"Cobra, right?" Feralan asked.

Olatrand nodded. " _Oración_ , at least he used to be one." Cobra unleashed another punch of poison onto the Quaken causing it to roar in pain once again. "But right now he's an asset."

"I can hear it," said Cobra. "All the screams of confusion and despair. What a sweet melody, now get lost sideliners!"

"Sideliners!" Olatrand yelled indignantly.

"Why don't you have a whiff of my litter box," Solatrand huffed.

"What's the deal?" Arvin asked narrowing his eyes. "You don't owe us any special favours, buddy."

"Yeah, why are you even here?" Cavin asked. "You should be in jail!"

"Damn straight, considering all the trouble your pals put us through I'm not sure I want your help," said Feralan.

"Why the change of heart anyway?" Ase asked.

"Because now it's my chance to slay a dragon," Cobra snapped. "Now if you want to die as well how about you quit talking!"

Arvin sighed as they watched him battling the Quaken. "He hasn't changed, has he?"

"What a creep," Ase spat.

"Man, it is peculiar though," Olatrand frowned. "I was certain that was under lock and key for good."

* * *

Overlooking the city were both Alistair and Alron.

"You know, I could be wrong, but I think this is the dumbest thing we've ever done," said Alron looking at Alistair. "Let's hope we only lose our jobs."

"Worry about the future later, at least not until we reshaped it," said Alistair.

"You're the boss," Alron smiled.

Alistair then turned his focus on his men that were standing ready for combat. "Now let's join the fray!"

Alron smiled down at them. "You heard the man."

Alistair smirked at him. "Oh, and a bit of advice, avoid the mouth end."

Alron smiled back. "Cracking jokes? What's next Alistair, a song?"

* * *

The Quaken roared and Cobra landed directly in front of it.

"Now that some yell, I could really do without that in my ears," Cobra smirked.

* * *

Overlooking the evacuation of the remaining towns people were Fishlegs and Brila.

Brila eyes widened as she turned back down towards the city. "That voice? Cydor?" She then shook her head. "It couldn't be."

"Please keep moving," said Fishlegs yelling to the townspeople. "You'll be safe and higher ground! We'll take a break soon! After that will be going over the mountain!"

Brila just continued to stare down at the city. ' _He's fighting too? My Cydor, he's really here._ '

* * *

Hiccup was still facing Rogue upon the Red Death.

"Get it now?" he glared at her. "As long as everybody is working together there ain't a fight we can't win!"

"Don't be so sure," Rogue spat. "You people have yet to see the truth terror of the dragons."

* * *

In the courtyard, Zirconis was laughing down as everyone present.

"Now then, with little morsel should I nibble on first?" he said looking at them all. "Let's say…" He then turned his gaze upon Ruby and Vala. "Well, hello ladies. You look tender and scrumptious." He then turned towards the Exceeds. "Still cats are excellent appetisers." He then turned towards the guards. "They even brought toothpicks for afterwards, how thoughtful."

Valka looked at the dragon in disgust and then turned to Merrill. "Merrill, have you got this one?"

Merrill nodded. "I think I can handle him."

Valka smiled at her approvingly. "Just remember everything my son had taught you and you do find."

"I'm coming with you," said Cloudjumper summoning his wings.

Valka nodded and the next second Cloudjumper grabbed her and they flew out of the courtyard as quickly as they could.

"Where is she going?" Vala asked.

"To fight another dragon," said Ruby. She then turned and looked at Zirconis. "Though I hope we can survive this one."

"Zirconis, don't you recognise us?" Merrill asked looking up at him. "We spoke very recently."

Zirconis gave her a puzzling and looked at her intently. "Ah, you're a real cutie pie. Perhaps I'll eat you first."

Stormfly then approached her. "It's no use, Child. It's not him. The Zirconis we have spoken to had been dead for centuries, he was just a ghost. This is not the dragon we met."

"So what now?" Merrill asked.

"You already know what to do," said Stormfly looked at her. "Hiccup gave you explicit instructions and he was right. Only _Dragon Slayers_ can defeat the dragons, it is why Valka left and interested this task to you. Now pull yourself together, save these people."

Merrill just stood there.

"I've decided," said Zirconis licking his lips. "I'm going to eat you all altogether!"

Immediately everyone panicked.

"Say what?" Ruby gasped.

"Please ran," Vala pleaded. "You have to retreat quickly!"

Darton placed himself in front of Throk and Mala. "Throk, we'll cover you while you get the Princess to safety."

Throk placed a hand on Mala's shoulder. "Now Princess, let's go."

Mala remained there defiantly. "I won't just abandon these men."

It was that point that Zirconis' mouth began to glow and he unleashed a powerful beam down upon the soldiers. Ruby and the others barely had time to hit the ground as it passed over their heads and they could hear the screams from the soldiers as the blast consumed them.

"Poor guys," Toothless stared.

"I guess he's going to cook them all before he eats them all for dinner," said Skullcrusher.

Finally the blast died down and everyone looked up and saw that the soldiers were completely unharmed. However, the blast didn't do something to their armour.

"What the crap?" a soldier gasped within the dust.

"This is messed up man!"

When the dust finally cleared all the soldiers were completely naked and all the girls turned very pink upon seeing them.

"Poor guys," said Toothless looking a bit startled.

"Poor me," Skullcrusher groaned. "I feel sick."

"Humans are tasty, but their clothing gives me gas," said Zirconis rubbing his chin with one of his claws. "Believe me no one wants that."

The soldiers were panicking to cover themselves up.

"I just bought that armour!"

"My spear is gone to!"

Adelaide looked the back of her head awkwardly. "That's one way to beat an army. Talk about embarrassing."

Thankfully both Mala and Throk were spared from the indignity.

"Princess, did you say anything?" Throk asked.

"Gladly no," said Mala looking away from the soldiers.

"Then don't look now, I beg you," said Darton.

Of course this caused the two of them to look at and almost immediately Mala looked away, because Darton too was completely naked.

"Minister!" Throk yelled as the Minister covered the important parts of his body.

Immediately the soldiers ran away as quickly as they could.

"Retreat!"

"We can't fight in our birthday suits!"

Zirconis merely rubbed his chin pondering. "Now that I think about it, guys are little too gamy." He then looked down at Ruby. "But you girls, you look nice and tender."

Ruby screamed quickly covering herself.

"Don't you dare disgrace the Princess!" Throk glared.

Merrill then stepped forward. "Zirconis, was that you're magic?"

"Of course," he said. "Every dragon has their magic, didn't you know?"

Ruby just stared at him. "You seriously have a spell destroying clothing?"

Zirconis looked at her and opened his mouth. Ruby now regretted the speaking, because a split second later her clothing vanished into thin air.

"Well, this is awkward," said Toothless.

Throk just stared open eyed and Mala quickly covered his eyes.

"Destroying clothing, no," said Zirconis. "My magic destroyed a person's dignity, what little they may have."

Merrill, didn't like it, but she knew what he had to do. "Well, I've got some magical my own and it's the kind that will destroy you!"

Zirconis now looking intrigued. "That's a pretty bold statement small fry."

Ruby was completely panicking covering herself up the best he could. "Where is Virgo when I need her? I need clothing stat!"

Zirconis smiled evilly and then reached out and grabbed Ruby.

"No!" she cried. "I don't want to die naked! Put me down!"

Ruby struggled to break out of Zirconis' grip, but he was just too strong.

"Ruby!" everyone cried.

"Yes, you'll do nicely," Zirconis smiled.

He then began to sniff her.

"Cut it out!" Ruby cried.

Zirconis then began poking her. "Oh, it seems you'll be more firm then I thought!"

"Let me go!" Ruby cried loudly.

Merrill glared at Zirconis and immediately a powerful sea green aura began to cover her body.

This did not go unnoticed by Zirconis. "Oh, did I make you angry little girl?"

"Loosen your grip would ya!" Ruby snapped.

Zirconis smiled viciously. "I know, let's see if you can put me down before I eat your friend here."

Merrill then extended her hands. "Go! _Arms and Vernier! Enchant and Advance!_ "

A split second later Adelaide began to glow with a powerful aura around her body and then transformed into her Vengeance Form.

Merrill then glared up at Zirconis. "Bring it on!"

Zirconis laughed. "This would be amusing, but to cheesy!"

He then flapped his wings and soar up into the air blowing everyone away and sending a giant cloud of dust in two different directions.

"Let her go!" Merrill cried.

Zirconis merely laughed. "I like to see you make me from way down there!"

"Why is it so cold?" Ruby groaned.

"Because we're higher in the air," said Zirconis looking at her. "Fine with me, the colder the meat the tastier."

Ruby then began to panic.

Then suddenly something launched from the ground just as he opened his mouth to eat Ruby and Strachan beneath the chin. That something was none other than Adelaide and he immediately turned on her.

"Is that a love tap?" he snarled.

"Merrill!" Adelaide yelled. "Go get him!"

Zirconis eyes widened when he realised she was just a distraction.

"Right!" Merrill yelled as she flew behind Zirconis with the help of Stormfly. She then took in a deep breath. " _Sea Dragon's Roar!_ "

She then slammed a powerful breath attack right on top of his head and that did some damage.

"Look Merrill," Stormfly gestured. "It affected him."

Zirconis immediately turned on her. "You little pest!"

He then tossed Ruby aside sending her flying across the air.

"He let Ruby go!" Vala cried.

"Don't worry, I'll bring you down safe and sound!" Toothless yelled as he flew.

"Thank you," said Merrill gratefully.

"We'll leave her to you then," said Stormfly. "Good luck."

Merrill then turned her attention back onto Zirconis. "Now that she's safe, we can focus on him."

Adelaide flew next to her. "Sounds good to me."

Zirconis merely smirked at the two of them. "Huh, not often my food fights back. You'll be in my belly in no time."

"How then do you support, don't worry," said Adelaide.

"I have a feeling that I'll need it," said Merrill feeling slightly nervous.

* * *

 _Blazing Fenrir_ were having a hard time with the Boneknapper as its armour was harder dragon scales, maybe even harder.

"Let's see if you can take my _Chop Hanging Palm_!" Bacchus yelled charging at the dragon.

"You need more than that to take me down," said the Boneknapper.

He then roared so loudly that Bacchus was sent flying before he could land a single hit upon him. Fortunately Thuggory was flying close by and grabbed him and the two of them crashed the ground safely.

"Man, this guy is no pushover," said Bacchus as Thuggory helped him up.

"What did you expect, he is a dragon," said Thuggory. He then looked up at the Boneknapper gravely. "And we don't have a _Dragon Slayer_ in our Guild."

"Then it's a good thing we've got a few spares!" a voice yelled from above.

Then suddenly a powerful gust of wind slammed right into the Boneknapper knocking him to the ground. Then suddenly landing right in front of them was Valka with a firm grip on her staff and Cloudjumper on her back, with his wings spread out.

"You're Hiccup's Mum, aren't you?" Thuggory asked.

Valka turned her head and nodded. "I'll handle this, you have the other Guilds."

Bacchus nodded. "You heard the lady, she's got this covered."

Immediately _Blazing Fenrir_ soon left the battlefield and the Boneknapper slowly got back onto its feet and glared down at Valka.

"You dare attack me," he roared.

"I'm not just going to attack you, I'm going to slay you," said Valka narrowing her eyes at him. She then turned her head to Cloudjumper. "You ready Cloudjumper?"

Cloudjumper nodded. "I'm with you all the way."

Immediately they soared up into the air and charged at the Boneknapper.

* * *

Elsewhere in the city, the other Guilds are starting to engage the baby dragon had landed across the city. However, they were starting to get outnumbered as the baby dragon proved to be quite formidable.

"There's no end to these things is there?" said Astrid. "I can barely keep up."

Snotlout looked at her. "Maybe you should rest, like we've been telling you? We can handle this ourselves."

"He's right, Astrid," Ruffnut agreed.

"Yeah, your injuries need to heal still hold back for a bit," Tuffnut nodded.

Astrid then engaged a baby dragon with her battleaxe. "Don't worry about me, this is nothing. I can still fight."

* * *

Up in the sky, still flying on top of Red Death, were Hiccup and Rogue. Hiccup had just won a flaming fist at Rogue who quickly dodged, and then slammed a burst of shadow from her hand into him. Hiccup somersaulted and landed on his feet and then glared up at Rogue.

"It's no use," said Rogue. "Throw all the punches you like, it won't help you." She then extended her hand which was then covered in shadow. "I have seven years of the void under my belt. Poor fool, I'm twice the Viking when we had Grand Magic role, even your future self was no match for me."

"I'm not impressed," said Hiccup narrowing his eyes. "You already lost this fighting moment it started. I'll protect the future no matter what to complete the promise my future self-made.

Rogue chuckled. "You still refuse to stay down? Guess I'll just have to kill you then, considerate mercy."

Hiccup narrowed his eyes.

"Hiccup's!" Ruby's voice cried.

Hiccup blinked. "I must be hearing things, because I swear just Ruby."

He turned and his face turned pink, because flying towards him with a naked Ruby. "Catch me!" she cried.

Sadly Hiccup was too stunned to move and slammed right into him and the two of them were sent flying off Red Death leave and are baffled Rogue behind.

"Hey, wait for me!" Toothless cried flying past.

* * *

Hiccup and Ruby yelled as the collided with the clock tower bell, which had been knocked off its perch in the dragon attack.

"Ruby I kinda in the middle of something!" Hiccup yelled. He then quickly turned away. "And why are you naked?"

"It's a long story," Ruby groaned.

Ruby was whittling like crazy trying to get away from Hiccup.

"Will you start wiggling?" Hiccup yelled.

"I'm trying!" Ruby snapped.

Then suddenly the bell fell off the tower began bouncing around the houses with the two of them inside. To make matters worse Hiccup kept on colliding with the naked Ruby, much to her dismay. Eventually they came to a stop and their heads were ringing like crazy.

"Can this day be over now?" Ruby groaned.

Hiccup picked himself up and rubbed his head. "My head," he groaned. "I'm still seeing stars."

"And my ears keep bringing," said Ruby pulling herself up.

Hiccup immediately looked around and found a sheet and handed it to her with his eyes closed. "Here, cover yourself up."

"Thanks," she said grabbing the sheet around her body.

Toothless soon approached them. "Well, this is just got an awkward."

Hiccup looked at her. "Any particular reason why you're naked, especially now?"

"A dragon did it," said Ruby in dismay.

"Well, big you collided with me and not Snotlout, he would have a field day," said Hiccup shaking his head.

Toothless then flew down and handed her her keys purse. "Here Ruby, I grabbed your keys."

"Thanks, Toothless," Ruby smiled. She then noticed the grave expression on Hiccup's face. "What's up?"

"Let me guess that Rogue up there is giving you more trouble then you thought she would," Toothless assumed.

"He was strong enough to defeat my future self and he had a year of experience over me," said Hiccup folding his arms. "She's strong, there can be no doubt and the dragon she's riding is not playing around either."

"I know," said Toothless.

"I wouldn't say that any of these dragons are necessarily playing around," said Ruby. "They're all out for blood or whatever they can get. You saw what Zirconis did, he stripped me and then he tried to make me a hors d'oeuvre."

Hiccup just remain silent.

* * *

Meanwhile the soldiers were engaging the serpent-like dragon with everything they had, but they were just tickling it.

"Nothing's working sir!"

"I don't care what it takes, bring that thing down!"

"Your man should stand back," said a voice.

Immediately the captain turned to find future Hiccup walking towards them.

"You can assist with the evacuation, I can handle this," he said.

"And who are you? And what gives you the right to give me orders?" the captain snapped.

Hiccup then vanished before their eyes, it only took a few seconds to realise that he jumped into the air with extraordinary speed and was rushing towards the serpent dragon. He then slammed a powerful flaming fist against the dragon face causing him to be knocked down into the ground.

He then landed on the ground and looked at the soldiers.

The captain blinked. "Men, we're pulling out! We're going to assist the evacuation, move!"

Hiccup watched as soldiers left and then turn towards the serpent-like dragon. He knew that it was a Screaming Death, a very powerful dragon.

The Screaming Death raised its head and looked down at him. "You're not from this time are you, human?"

Hiccup took on a fighting stance. "Now I come from a future where your kind decimated everything in your path."

The Screaming Death then pulled itself back up. "And what makes you think you can change that future?"

"It's already happened," said Hiccup narrowing his eyes. "In my time there were 10,000 dragons that swarmed the land, but now there are only nine. It won't be easy, but I'm confident we can take you down!"

The Screaming Death snarled at him. "You willing to put that to the test?"

"I'll do whatever it takes to secure my future," said Hiccup.

He then jumped at the Dragon with his fist ablaze.

* * *

Meanwhile all over the city the other Guilds were being attacked by the baby dragons.

"We're so screwed!"

"There's no end of them!"

"They just keep coming!"

The human girl then stepped forward and immediately flames covered her rear ended forming a tail.

"I may have gotten knocked out in the Grand Magic Games preliminary round, but now I finally have a chance to show up and get some action," he smiled as flames covered her head.

Immediately the baby dragons pounced and he instantly extended her hand freezing them in place. Three more baby dragons then pounced at her from behind her and she merely whipped her by retail setting the dragons ablaze.

Everyone cheered at the girl.

"You go girl!"

"Not too shabby!"

She then smiled at them. "There's a feisty new kitten on the scene, _Twilight Ogre's_ cutest, the idle ice and fire. The one and only Gabrielle!"

Gustav had seen the scene with his own eyes. " _Twilight Ogre_ is helping too? This is nuts, what will happen next?"

He then saw several baby dragons advancing towards him, but then Snotlout appeared out of nowhere and dealt some powerful fist to them.

"Quit spacing out, Gustav!" he yelled as he punched the baby dragons constantly. "We're in the middle of a fight!"

"Uh, yeah," said Gustav slightly stunned.

* * *

Eret was now engaging the wingless dragon which had already fired a powerful attack at him. He knew that the dragon was a Timberjack, and dangerous dragon with wings capable of slicing through any kind of surface.

" _Iron Dragon's Club!_ " Eret yelled forming his club and sending it straight down onto the Timberjack.

However, at the moment it struck his chest it had no effect whatsoever.

"No dice, your tough sucker aren't you?" said Eret.

All the _Dragon Slayers_ were now engaging against their own dragons and were fighting with every fibre of their being.

* * *

Elsewhere acid had just been flown backwards by the baby dragons. She was badly injured she cursed herself for not listening to the others about taking a rest.

' _Not good_ ,' she said as she struggled to pick us over. ' _I'm all alone out here_.' The dragons were now advancing towards her and her right leg was stinging. ' _My foot is broken so running it out. I really did push myself too far, I'm pathetic. Is it impossible for me to show any sign of weakness? I know full well that not what makes a person strong and yet…_ ' The dragons then pounced on. ' _I guess this is it._ '

Then suddenly, from out of nowhere, there was a massive bust of dark magic that sent the baby dragons flying and turning them into dust. When she opened her eyes she found Jellal standing there.

"It looks like you barely have the strength to stand," he said. "If I didn't know better I'd say you overexert yourself again. I hope this doesn't offend you, but Hiccup asked me to give you a hand."

"Thank you," said Astrid she accepted his hand. She then frowned at him. "You mentioned Hiccup."

"Not the Hiccup we know," said Jellal. He then looked at her awkwardly. "It's a long story."

Then they heard footsteps close by and turned to find Neria standing there in front of them. She just Astrid in bewilderment, understandable considering the circumstances.

"Neria, it's you," said Jellal.

Neria then glared at him with hatred in her eyes.

* * *

Meanwhile Ruby had summoned Virgo to help with her clothing problem.

"I see that I've caught you in an awkward moment, mistress," Virgo noted.

"You can say that again," Ruby groaned. "It's an emergency, I need some new clothes pronto."

"And can you please hurry," Hiccup added.

"I may have something that will suit your needs mistress, it's the latest craze in the celestial world," said Virgo pulling out a set of clothes from nowhere. "When I put one on the size Leo was quite hypnotised."

"Why does that make me nervous?" Ruby groaned.

"Whatever it is it gonna be better than going into battle with a tablecloth wrapped around your body," Hiccup pointed out.

"Point taken."

Toothless then summoned his wings and lifted Hiccup into the air. "Ruby, I'm going on ahead."

"It won't take me that long to change," Ruby pointed out.

"Actually it takes girls forever to get changed," said Toothless.

Hiccup looked at Ruby. "Sorry, but every second is vital in this battle and I can't wait for you."

Immediately they took off.

"Thanks guys," Ruby grumbled.

"Take care out there," said Virgo.

Ruby then started to put on the dress, which wasn't easy.

"What's with this thing anyway?" Ruby snapped. "I can barely get it on!"

"I heard you were in the middle of a battle so I chose something nice and snug," Virgo explained.

"You're so oblivious," Ruby groaned as he put on the boots.

"Thank you," Virgo smiled.

* * *

Hiccup and Toothless were now charging into battle as quickly as they could.

"I hope you got a plan?" said Toothless.

"More like a delaying plan," said Hiccup.

"Well I guess is the best we're going to get."

* * *

Ruby finally got the dress on, it was a long purple dress with room to move the legs. She had a pair of thigh length boots on and a pair of long sleeved gloves.

"And once again Hiccup is shooting from the hip," Ruby sighed.

"In fairness his plans often do work," Virgo reminded.

"Good point, I suppose at this point we got nothing to lose," Ruby shrugged. Her eyes then turned towards a notebook amongst the rubble and her eyes widened. "Is that… my diary? What is it doing out here?"

Ruby then went up to pick it up and started to look through the pages, but strangely last few pages weren't her handwriting.

Her eyes widened when she realised whose writing it was. "Hold on… no way. It's the diary that belonged to my future self and the last entries were written by Hiccup."


	70. The Battle of Crocus

The townspeople along with Fishlegs and Brila were watching as the city was being destroyed by the rampaging dragons. Hiccup and the other _Dragon Slayers_ were fighting violently against the horde, but even they were having problems of taking beasts down.

Alvin was still doing battle with Helheim with the support of the _Thunder Legion_ , but they were barely doing again to him. This was proven when Helheim raised his claw towards Fenris, who was standing on a building.

"I never imagined that you dragons were foolhardy creatures," said Fenris narrowing his eyes at the flaming dragon. "Engaging the _Thunder Legion_ in battle is a painful experience for all that to do so."

His bands then blew away from his phrase revealing his dark eyes. " _Dark Écriture: Absolute Shadow!_ "

Immediately his body was covered in dark armour and with the power of the armour he was able to deflect Helheim's claw.

Rubbella then sprung into action. " _Fairy Machine-Gun: Leprechaun!_ "

She then unleashed a blast of magic power in the form of projectiles that rained down on the flaming dragons back.

"Let's rock babies!" Dogsbreath cried joining the fray. " _Barrier Formation!_ "

Immediately his dolls began to attack Helheim with magical beams in five different locations.

Alvin then prepared to deal the final blow. " _Lightning Dragon's Roar!_ " He unleashed his breath attack that slammed right into Helheim. "I think a billion volts in the face should shut you up for a while."

However, Helheim merely laughed. "That didn't hurt one bit," he said. When the smoke cleared Helheim was completely unharmed and what was worse is flames intensified. "My hellfire burns magic away."

"Damn, that it didn't even touch him," Alvin cursed.

Fenris and the others soon joined him. "It would seem lightning is useless against fire, you're just not a good match for this one."

"I wish Merrill was here, she would have been perfectly suited for this fight," said Rubbella.

"I'm sure she's busy with her own fight," Alvin assumed.

"Well, good thing we have our own Fire Dragon in our Guild and he's coming in hot," said Dogsbreath pointing upwards.

They all looked up and saw Hiccup and Toothless flying directly above them.

"We're almost right above him," said Toothless.

"Dragon is about to attack, I need you drop me right in front of him," said Hiccup.

"You got it," said Toothless releasing him.

Hiccup then began to skydive towards them.

"Hiccup?" Alvin stared.

Helheim then unleashed a breath attack upon them, but thankfully Hiccup landed in front of them just in time. He quickly extended his hands and began to block the attack which was sent in several different directions.

"Now this is a fight I know I can win," Hiccup smiled and began to absorb the flames into his mouth.

Helheim stared at him. "Who are you, pest?"

Hiccup finished eating the flames and looked directly at him. "My name is Hiccup Haddock and I'm a _Fire Dragon Slayer_!"

Immediately he jumped and began to slam a powerful punch right into Helheim knocking the dragon backwards. Helheim attempted to swipe with his claws, but Hiccup was able to dodge and began jump from building to building performing sneak attacks in his blind spot.

Alvin looked at him. "Hiccup what are you doing?"

"Finding a Fire Dragon, what does it look like?" said Hiccup as he dodged Helheim's attacks.

"I mean why are you here, I thought you were fighting somewhere else," said Alvin.

"No time to explain, you and the others need to get to the Palace courtyard right now," said Hiccup looking at them. "Merrill need some backup, I can handle this dragon."

Alvin just remain silent.

"Even though she's a _Dragon Slayer,_ she is rather young and inexperienced," Rubbella reminded.

Dogsbreath nodded. "Yeah, if she's all alone it could be pretty tough for her."

Fenris approached Alvin. "I agree we should go help. Besides who is better to find a Fire Dragon in a Fire Dragon Slayer, don't you think?"

Alvin looked at Hiccup who was still jumping around dodging Helheim's attacks. "You sure you can handle this, Hiccup?"

"I've got it," Hiccup assured. "If I him I can re-energise."

Alvin nodded. "Let's get going."

"Roger," the _Thunder Legion_ nodded.

Toothless was still flying in the air watching as Alvin and the _Thunder Legion_ made their way towards the Palace.

"You should go with them, bud," said Hiccup.

"You got it," said Toothless and began flying after them.

Helheim was now growing furious with Hiccup. "You think you can slain me, brat!"

"I don't think I know," said Hiccup landed on top of him. "But I think the first thing to do is to you of your flames!"

Hiccup then began to absorb the flames Helheim was producing while holding tightly on his back.

"Then you will taste my fury!" Helheim roared.

He then began to run through the ruins street slamming into buildings in attempt to throw Hiccup off. However, Hiccup kept on clinging onto him and continue to eat his fire in the hopes to wear him down and to regain his strength.

The tactic appeared to be working as Helheim began to feel weak. "How dare you lay your hands on me!"

He then slammed his head into a building in the attempts to squash Hiccup. When that failed he began to scrape his head onto the buildings, immediately this did make it harder for Hiccup to hold on, but he remained determined and clung on even tighter.

That is when a memory entered into Helheim's head. "It's so strange," he stared and then came to a sudden stop. "Is it even possible?" He then shook his head. "No, that is ridiculous, but why does this human remind me so much of… him."

His memory pictured Hiccup replaced by Ingeel, who pinned him down to the ground with a very strong grip similar to Hiccup's.

"The Fire Dragon King, Ingeel" he gasped. He then immediately looked up at Hiccup. "Boy, you have some connection to Ingeel do you not?"

Hiccup stopped consuming the fire and stared at him. "Wait a minute, you know Ingeel?"

"He's King of the Fire Dragons and my oldest friend," said Helheim.

"It truly is a small world," said Hiccup stunned. "I know him pretty well, he was my Master the one that taught me _Dragon Slaying Magic_."

Upon hearing this news Helheim was taken aback.

Meanwhile Ruby was looking at the diary that Hiccup had dropped and Virgo was looking at her curiously.

"What are you looking at mistress?" she asked.

"It's the diary that belonged to my future self," said Ruby stunned. "She must have gave it to the future Hiccup before he entered into our time."

"Is in reading someone else's diary a bit of a poor taste?" Virgo blinked.

"Well, technically it is mine," Ruby pointed out. She then began to read the last few entries and her eyes wide. "Seriously?"

"Anything interesting, mistress?" Ruby however remain completely silent. "I'll take your silent as a yes."

* * *

Meanwhile flying above the city, Rogue was watching the destruction caused by the dragons she had unleashed upon the world.

"The raw destructive force of the dragons is amazing to behold," she smiled. "They're power will make my dreams a reality." She then clenched her fist. "Acnologia won't have a pray against us. We will kill him for sure, once he's taken his last breath the world will be mine to rule as I see fit."

All over the city members of the Guild were engaging the baby dragons which were now swarming the streets. Fortunately they weren't as strong as the adult forms and were easily defeated, but they could easily overwhelm everyone.

"May the land be ripped apart, may the sky burn and made the light of life snuffed out," Rogue continued as the Dragon Slayers continue to fight valiantly against the dragons. "I am the true Queen of the Dragons, I will explain my crown and the Dragon King Festival. The shadows will become a cleansing light, the world will be reborn with its divine illumination!"

"We have no use for your light!" Hiccup's yelled behind him.

Rogue groaned and slowly turned around. "Again?"

However, her eyes widened because Hiccup was flying towards him riding on top of Helheim.

"Because we've got our own light shining out of our hearts!" Hiccup yelled as they flew towards her. "And I can guarantee that it is 1 million times brighter than whatever you've got!"

Helheim then collided with Red Death and just stared at him in bewilderment.

"How could he be riding a dragon like that?" she stared. She then turned towards Helheim with fury in her eyes. "Helheim why have you betrayed me?"

"I merely listen to my heart," he said.

Rogue stared at him. "What?"

He then gestured to Hiccup, who was riding on top of his head. "This boy is a disciple of Ingeel, my dear friend."

"And if he's a friend of Ingeel, he's a friend to me," said Hiccup simply.

"But this dragon should be under my control!" said Rogue in bewilderment. She then glared up at Hiccup. "What have you done Hiccup!"

"Your magic that clouded my mind is gone," said Helheim.

Hiccup narrowed his eyes at Rogue. "I simply made friends with him, I don't need a spell to fight alongside a dragon."

Rogue stared at him open eyed. "You and that Dragon friends?"

"Come on, Helheim," said Hiccup. "Let's show her what our bond is truly capable of!"

Helheim then opened his mouth and sank his fangs right into Red Death's neck.

"Now get behind her," said Hiccup.

Rogue looked at Red Death. "Don't turn your back on them! Move, Red Death!"

Red Death then moved her mouth towards Helheim and unleashed her dragon breath attack straight at him. Helheim barely had time to dodge it and the blast shot right over the city and completely destroyed and mountain a good 50 miles away.

Hiccup just stared at the destruction and Rogue smirked.

Hiccup looked at Helheim. "You feeling all right?"

"Don't worry, I was able to avoid the attack," Helheim assured.

Red Death narrowed her eyes at him. "Your flames can never burn through my scales."

"Well, you have never felt my hellfire, have you." Immediately his flames ignited with even more ferocity. "It burns as intensely as the flames from the pits of hell." Then suddenly jumping through the flames was Hiccup, who felt himself re-energised. "And this young man, who I called my friend, has consumed its! He has it been raging inside of his belly!"

Hiccup then pulled out _Inferno_ and channelled all the fire he had consumed into the blade.

Rogue just stared at him. ' _He ate the fire of Helheim? How?_ '

Hiccup then came rushing down raising Inferno and slammed the blade right on top of Red Death causing her to roar in pain and causing her to lose altitude.

* * *

On the ground the soldiers can witness the two dragons fighting one another and with them was King Macario.

"Your Majesty, did you say that?"

"It looks like a couple of the dragons are starting to fight with each other."

"Yes, those two are definitely going at it up there."

King Marcario however was more focused with the destruction going around the city. "The capital city is being stained red with blood, trampled over by total chaos. The frenzy of people, dragons and magic. People fighting people, dragon fighting dragon, people struggling against dragons. It's just as the legend spoke of… this the _Dragon King Festival_."

He then fell to his knees and the soldiers immediately turned towards him.

"You're Highness!"

"Is something wrong your Majesty?"

"Do you need assistance?"

King Marcario shook his head. "No, this is a catastrophe. It's too late, the world we once knew will be forever changed."

* * *

Meanwhile within the city, Ilos was engaging a few of the baby dragons.

"I know what to do," he said as he placed two fingers on his temple. " _Memory-Make: Sword of Frozen Black Lightning!"_

He extended his hand upwards and immediately a bright light shone from it. Then suddenly burst of ice erupted from the ground as black lightning range from the sky knocking the baby dragons away.

" _Tribe of the Stormy Wind Fang!_ " Ilos yelled.

Immediately he unleashed several tornadoes which ripped the baby dragons into shreds. However, Moore kept on coming and Ilos was getting exhausted.

"Is there no end to these foul creatures?" he panted. "Their sheer number, their raw power, like nothing in my memory?"

He was so busy talking that he failed to notice the baby dragon emerged from behind him and was preparing to fire its breath attack upon him.

"Here comes my _Ice Bringer!_ " Ragnar's voice yelled.

Immediately he formed a pair of twin swords and struck the baby dragon freezing is in place just before it could strike Ilos. A few seconds later there was an explosion as the baby dragon exploded was inside the ice.

Ilos just stared at him. "Magnificent."

Ragnar frowned at him. "Why are you just standing there? I used that exact same technique to beat you, don't you remember it?

Ilos smiled at him. "Then I suppose you wouldn't mind me incorporating it to my repertoire."

Ragnar smiled back.

* * *

Elsewhere in the city, Helga and Ingrid were engaging the baby dragons.

"We can take on these things," said Helga confidently.

"Yeah, we may not have Fishlegs, but we can still represent team _Shadow Gear_ ," Ingrid nodded.

Helga immediately used her _Speed Magic_ and began to run as quickly as he could. "Now _Falcon Sword!_ "

She then dealt a powerful kick to one of the baby dragons knocking it to the ground.

"Have a taste of my _Knuckle Planet!_ " Ingrid yelled as she tossed several seeds in every direction.

Immediately they formed vines which then took the form of fists and knocking back the baby dragons.

"See, we still got it," Helga smiled.

"We never lost it," Ingrid smiled back.

* * *

Gobber, Spitelout and Gustav were also fighting the baby dragons in another part of the city.

" _Purple Flare!_ " Gobber yelled as he swung his prosthetic, unleashing a burst of purple flames.

"Take this!" Gustav yelled unleashing his own purple flames.

The two attacks collided with a baby dragon destroying it instantly.

"You really taught the kids well, Gobber," Spitelout smirked. He then immediately transformed into his Beast Form and took a form resembled one of the baby dragons. "But I've got a few tricks of my own!"

He then engaged one of the dragons, who was taken completely aback as he attacked and then pounded into the ground. "Good thing I absorb the power of these dragons."

Gobber approached him. "Don't forget that these are just babies, the adult version are much tougher."

"Let's take them down!" Gustav cried.

* * *

Orga was engaging the baby dragons in another part of the city and was channelling his black lightning.

" _Lightning God's Particle Cannon!_ " He yelled unleashing a burst of black lightning at the baby dragons.

The moment they made collision with the black lightning they exploded.

"Right, so how many of these creatures do we have left?" he asked himself. He then turned around and saw more of the baby dragons surrounding him. "How did I not notice them all around me?"

Immediately the baby dragons opened their mouth and unleashed a breath attack upon him. He grimaced because there was no time him to perform any defensive move.

"Arise! _Iron Rock Wall!_ " a voice yelled.

Immediately stone pillars surrounded Orga and blocked the attacks. Orga knew, whose magic it was instantly.

"It's Jura," he gasped.

Jura was standing on one of the ruined buildings and slammed his hands together. " _Rock Talus!_ "

Immediately stone pillars shot out beneath the ground and began to bend crushing the baby dragons where they stand.

Orga smiled at him. "I never thought I'd say this, but man am I glad to see you. And even though you beat me earlier, it rocks having you on my team."

* * *

Sting was still facing the Cavern Crusher.

" _Power Up! Holy Drive!_ " Sting yelled and immediately he activated his Dragon Force. "Now feel my _Holy Dragon's Roar_!"

He then unleashed his breath attack upon the Cavern Crusher and landed on direct hit on its head. However, when the smoke cleared the dragon looked completely unfazed by the attack.

Sting then waste any time and immediately launch into the air. "You like that? Take this!" He slammed a powerful punch of light right into the dragon's back. A few seconds later his Mystic Martyr spell appeared on the dragons back.

He then landed back on the ground and smirk of the dragon. "Let's see how fierce you are you can't even move!"

However, to his astonishment the magic circle vanished from the dragon's back. "You stupid elf. That is just pitiful, I don't feel a thing! Is that really the best you can do?"

Sting grimaced, because the battle was not going as well as he thought.

* * *

Rogue was having similar problems with her opponent a Thunder Dragon known as a Thunderdrum and like Sting she was in her Dragon Force mode. The Thunderdrum was in fact the small study dragon with a razor sharp fangs, but it was as fierce as the others.

" _Shadow Dragon's Roar!_ " Rogue yelled unleashing her breath attack.

However, her attack was just having as much effect as Sting's attack. Rogue was now panting heavily and his Dragon Force faded.

"Rogue," said the Thunderdrum. "You're much too weak to defeat a dragon. Why exhaust yourself any further?"

Rogue looked up. "How do you know my name?"

"I was specifically instructed to spare your life."

Rogue then sends the same feeling that she had during the Grand Magic Games. She turned and looked at the shadow that possessed at her which was in fact her future self.

"It's true," said future Rogue.

"What are you?" Rogue asked.

"I am you, at least I'm another version of your future, I am the darkness that always follows you, born from the darkness inside your heart."

"Shut up!" Rogue yelled slamming her foot onto the shadow. Future Rogue merely laughed and wrote kept on stomping the shadow. "Shut up! Shut up! You're lying, you're lying!"

The Thunderdrum then chuckled. "You should start fighting, if you know what's good for you. For you are the only person in this city that will survive this onslaught. And in due time become ruler of the world."

Rogue just stared at him. "What are you talking about? I have no desire to rule the world! Who told you to spare me?"

"Who?" He then chuckled as if laughing is a good joke. "Why you did, Rogue. You were the one that some us, we will destroy the world at your request so that you can rule over the wreckage. In seven years you will hatch this plan and travel back to this time."

Rogue closed her eyes. "I don't believe or any of this nonsense."

"But it is the truth," said future Rogue.

Rogue immediately looked down and saw the shadow had vanished and now had a panicked look on her face.

"Look inside your heart," said the Thunderdrum. "You cannot deny that it has been stained by darkness."

Rogue stared at him. "What?

"Or rather, your heart will be stained by darkness." Rogue was looking very conflicted now. "You have no choice in the matter, you must accept your fate, it is your destiny to live on and rule!"

Rogue then clutched her head as if experiencing a massive migraine and then fell to her knees. "It's not true. It can't be true! You're lying!"

Unbeknownst to her watching from a distance was Ultear.

"There you are," she said.

* * *

One hour ago, Ultear and Shanyla were tending to the future Hiccup's wounds from his battle with future Rogue.

"Hiccup are you okay?" Shanyla asked.

"I survived losing an eye, arm and a leg, I can survive this," he assured as he tried to get up.

Ultear then tried to stop him. "You shouldn't get up yet."

"If I don't, we all die," said Hiccup sadly. "I remember Astrid dying on the battlefield right next to me along with the majority of my friends. Me and Ruby barely escape with our lives, I myself lost a piece of meat that day." He then looked at his prosthetic arm. "The dragons then began to burn the land destroy everything in their path. With Fishlegs' help the three of us discovered how to work the _Eclipse Gate_ to go back in time, but it came with a price. For it to work we needed all 12 Zodiac keys, but Vala had perished that day and her keys were lost. To that end Ruby use own life force with conjunction of the keys to open the Gate so that I could warn you all."

Ultear looked at him sadly. "I can't even imagine your pain."

Hiccup closed his eyes and then got to his feet. "It's a pain that I hope that you never have to experience. Ruby died to give me a chance to change the future and I'm not gonna let some mad woman ruin it all."

"Who is this mad woman?" Ultear asked.

"Rogue," he said. "She came from an alternate timeline, seven years from now."

"So there was another time traveller after all," said Shanyla.

"What does she want?" Ultear asked.

"To be honest apart from unleashing 10,000 dragons upon the land, I've got no clue," said Hiccup.

Shanyla's eyes widened. "You mean she's the one who unleashes the dragons? But how?"

"I don't know that either, but I imagine had something to do with the _Eclipse Gate_ ," said Hiccup folding his arms.

Shanyla looked at Ultear. "Rogue is strong now, but it sames seems you'll get way more powerful in several years."

"Yes, but coming from the future betrays a weakness. If we were to kill the Rogue that came from our time, his future self would cease to exist."

"Are you sure?" Shanyla asked. "Because it sounds like a major paradox to me. There's already a Rogue from the future so doesn't that mean the one from now can't die? I just don't think that it will work."

"You would be right, but time is not flowing as it should right now. It's in a state of flux, there have been far too many disturbances in its natural flow, people crossing from one time to another. We can use this to our advantage."

"How?"

"Exactly as I said earlier, we eliminate the present-day Rogue and the one from the future will vanish completely."

Shanyla smiled. "And if that version is out of the picture, he can't come back and wreak havoc. Hiccup wouldn't need to come back."

"No," said Hiccup strongly. Immediately the two women's stared at him. "I didn't come back in the past to murder people."

"I thought you said that you were going to protect the future, this is the best way to do it," said Ultear strongly.

"But it's not the only way," said Hiccup turning towards her. "Ruby left her diary with me with plans about the Eclipse Gate. Sadly I lost it, but I definitely know that she would not choose killing Rogue as the first recourse. Besides, the Rogue from the future is not the same one from our time. Something happened and she lost her way, we would be killing a completely innocent woman. I don't care what the future self has done, but I will save her past if possible. I came to secure your future and I will do that without killing a person."

Ultear looked at him and smiled. "You've make your and you're absolutely right. We cannot harm the present-day Rogue, I won't touch her."

* * *

However in the present time, Ultear was watching looking down at the present-day Rogue, who was on her knees with tears forming in her eyes.

"I would never do this," she said. "It's all a lie, it has to be."

Ultear then turned her eyes to the destruction of the city and use their defences would hold for very long.

"I'm sorry, I made a promise, but there's no other way," she said apologetically. "Rogue may be innocent now, but she will fall from grace. She will become the agent of our destruction, we just can't risk letting this happen. If she can't come from the future she can't open the _Gate_ and the dragons will never attack. The only way to save the world from this nightmare, is to end her life before it's too late."


	71. Sin and Sacrifice

Neria was glaring directly at Jellal with immense hatred in her eyes.

"I finally found you," she snarled.

Jellal knew why she was so angry. "Neria, I…"

Astrid then shoved his hand away and turned to face Neria. "Listen to me…"

Jellal tried to stop. "It's okay Astrid, leave it be."

"No it isn't!" said Astrid and returned her attention onto Neria. "I've forgiven Jellal and so should you."

Neria started her. "How could you ever did send on monster like him? Did you forget that he murdered Olaf?"

Jellal remained perfectly quiet, because he knew there was no way to defend himself.

"He has to pay! He's a liar and a murderer and I can't forget that… I'm going to kill him or die trying!"

Astrid looked at the ground. "I know whether that leads, a dark and empty place. Killing here won't bring back the dead."

"So I should just pretend that everything is okay? I won't do it, this is wrong!"

"Yes, I agree," said a voice. Everyone turned and saw Ultear was standing directly behind Neria. "This is wrong."

"Ultear it's you?" Jellal blinked.

"You can't blame Jellal for the things he did back then," said Ultear as he walked past Neria. "He wasn't in control."

"Wait, who are you?" Neria frowned.

"I'm his wife and the girl pulling the strings the entire time," said Ultear simply.

Neria stared at her.

"Leave her be, Ultear," Astrid warned.

"Say that's the kind of person I really am," said Ultear simply. "There's no point in fighting it, no matter how hard I try to play the hero. The truth of it is, I will always be gotten to the core."

Jellal looked at her. "And what makes you say that?"

"It's a fact. Anyway, now isn't exactly the time for us to stand around chatting. This area is still crawling with that Red Death's offspring, we should split them up and wiped them out." She took a few paces before stopping. "And one more thing, Kitten." She then turned her head to Neria. "I alone and the one to blame your friends death as a matter of fact I was the architect of the Tower of Valhalla."

Neria eyes widened as she stared at her.

"I'll give you a shot of revenge once this is over," Ultear assured as she walked away. "So that's what you want you'll have to survive."

"Believe it or not she is a victim herself," said Astrid sadly. "She was raised as a test subject and was taught nothing but pain."

Neria looked completely crushed. "Honestly… I don't know… what to make all of this?"

Jellal looked up at the sky. "We live in a chaotic and damaged world."

"Even so we have to keep fighting," said Astrid strongly. "To strive for something better."

Unbeknownst to anyone, hiding behind the bubbles of the building was Camicazi. She had originally intended to draw her sword to attack Jellal, but after hearing everything she just sheathed her sword.

Ultear was making her way down the ruined streets with the attention of killing Rogue.

' _There's only one way to make things right_ ,' she said to herself. ' _And that is to kill Rogue_.' She then remembered what Hiccup had said to her and she soon filled unease. "This is who I really am."

* * *

Meanwhile Rogue was still on her knees conflicted by what she had been told.

"Why in the Void are you just sitting there!" a voice yelled.

Rogue looked up and saw Sting running towards her. "Sting? What are you doing?"

"Thought I drop by and save your butt," he said. "Let's do this!"

Rogue blinked. "Wait, did you already defeated your dragon?"

The answer soon came very clear, because emerging from behind the building was the Cavern Crusher.

"No, figured I just bring him with me," said Sting.

"You what?"

"No worries, he's super slow!"

"This is no time for jokes!"

Sting soon approached her. "We're team aren't we? Figured we should be taking them on together."

The Cavern crusher then approached the Thunderdrum. "Levia, this elf has proven difficult to subdue. Give me your aid."

The Thunderdrum or Levia, as he was now called, snorted. "I'm not interested on taking one alive, I plan to kill every single worm I can find."

Sting smiled at Rouge. "We're the _Twin Dragon,_ right? So let's kick their asses! Come on."

Rogue stared at him and then smiled. "Let's go."

The two of them then stood back to back as they face the individual dragons.

Rogue smiled back at Sting. ' _That's right, as long as I have Sting watching my back nothing can touch me_.' Sting looked back at her and winked. ' _If I am destined to become tainted by evil then at least I'll have his light nearby me to strike me down._ '

The two dragons then pounced on the two of them.

* * *

Meanwhile Ragnar, Heather and Lyon were running across the battlefield and judge behind the building just as a baby dragon fired them.

Lyon then jumped into the air and places hands together. "Try and beat this, _Ice-Make: Snow Tiger!_ "

Immediately unleashed a tiger made of ice down upon the baby dragons, but they immediately fired and destroyed it.

" _Ice-Make: Cannon!_ " Ragnar yelled forming a shoulder canon of ice and then unleashed a burst of ice upon the baby dragons.

However just like with Lyon, the baby dragons immediately shattered the ice blast.

"None of our attacks are working," said Heather.

Ragnar looked at Lyon. "I don't know about you, but I'm getting sick and tired of these things. Let's take them out together."

Lyon nodded. "Sounds good to me."

Ragnar immediately places hands together. " _Ice-Make: Freeze Lancer!_ " he yelled and immediately launched a volley of ice shards.

Lyon then places hands together. " _Ice-Make: Snow Dragon!_ " he yelled creating his dragon of ice.

Immediately the two attacks combined and the ice dragon grew a large number of spikes upon its body. He then slammed into the baby dragons immediately knocking them out, but more soon took their place.

"They just keep coming," said Ragnar.

"Come on, we should fall back and take cover," Lyon advised.

Ragnar remain standing there until Heather approached him. "Ragnar, we have to go."

"I know!" Ragnar yelled.

They nearly got struck by the blasts from the baby dragons and Ragnar and Lyon quickly created a shield of ice to block the attacks.

* * *

Meanwhile elsewhere in the city Gobber, Spitelout and Gustav were still engaging the baby dragons.

Spitelout was in his beast form as he began slamming his fists on top of the baby dragons. "They just keep coming!"

"We can't give up now," said Gobber as he and Gustav unleashed their fire magic upon the baby dragons. "Just give it up, lad."

"Don't worry, I'm not giving up," Gustav assured.

However the attack had absolutely no effect upon the baby dragons whatsoever. They then fired Powell being straight at them and immediately ducked behind the building they were standing behind.

"Blast it," Gobber grumbled. "These beasties are tougher than they look."

"And there's more coming so what are we gonna do about it?" Spitelout asked.

"Not much," said Gobber. "They have surrounded."

Gustav looked at Gobber. "You're not really going to give up are you?"

Gobber blinked. "What?"

"I asked you if you're giving up?" Gustav repeated.

"Of course not, don't be ridiculous. We just have to be a bit careful with our counter-attack, one wrong move and we're done for."

Gustav sighed. "I wish Hiccup was here, you would know what to do."

"He's busy fighting the dragon of his own," said Gobber looking at him. "I'm afraid we can't expect him to save us this time."

"Incoming!" Spitelout yelled as he ducked for cover.

Gobber immediately pushed Gustav down just in time as the baby dragons fired a concentrated blast in there hideout.

"You okay, lad?" Gobber asked looking down at Gustav.

"I'm not finished yet!" said Gustav determinedly. "I keep this up all day if I have too!"

"I wish I could say the same," Gobber winced. While he was able to protect Gustav he did take the full brunt of the attack.

"Hey, you're not done yet you old cobbler," said Spitelout looking at him.

* * *

Meanwhile the Hiccup from the future was still battling against the Screaming Death which is currently underground.

"You can't hide from me!" Hiccup yelled defiantly.

"Who is hiding!" said a voice beneath the ground.

Hiccup immediately jumped out of the way and a good thing he did, because emerging from the ground was the Screaming Death which would swallow him whole if he remained when he stood. He then immediately unleashed several barbs from his body straight at Hiccup dealing him a massive blow.

Hiccup however remains strong, but terribly wounded. "If you think that's going to stop me, you're wrong."

Screaming Death then roared unleashing a powerful screech across the area nearly deafening Hiccup.

"Take this! _Fire Dragon's Roar!_ " Hiccup yelled unleashing his breath attack.

His flames were doused by the screech, but there was still strong enough to slam straight into him.

"You're only delaying the inevitable," said Screaming Death. His piercing red eyes then turned across the battlefield. "If I cannot defeat you, I will take away from you what is most precious."

Hiccup's eyes widened. "No, you wouldn't."

"Those are my orders," Screaming Death smirked.

* * *

Elsewhere in the city Cobra was having similar difficulty with the Quaken.

"Is this _Dragon Slayer Magic_ you've been tickling me with," Quaken laughed.

"I'm going to need you to keep that ugly mouth of yours shut," Cobra snapped. "You sound like a pack of dying orcs and I've got sensitive ears. See, I'm in a great mood now that I've been busted out of prison and I would like to take in as many voices as possible. Only problem is… this lame excuse for a boulder keeps making noise!"

"Insolent insect!" the Quaken roared raising his claw.

Cobra just managed to jump out of the way in time to avoid the claw slamming down on top of him.

"That coming from a mile away!" Cobra yelled, who was now on top of the Quaken. "Better luck next time!"

"You shall not face this threat alone!" Olatrand yelled.

Poison then began to form in Cobra's hand. "Keep back where you belong, sideline!"

He then slammed his fist on top of the Quaken's head. "Poison Dragon's Gouging Horn!"

Immediately a burst of poison rushed through the Quaken's head and was sent in all different directions.

"What did you call me!" Olatrand glared.

Then suddenly a piece of the poison headed straight his way and while he was able to avoid the direct impact, it was able to burn away the bottom of his trousers revealing his burnt butt.

"My booty! You have disfigured my beautiful asset!" he cried.

"And that's why I told you to keep to the sidelines," Cobra reminded.

Unfortunately the Quaken hasn't been affected by the poison and now flung his head upwards. Cobra soon landed directly in front of him and stared at him.

"This ain't good, he doesn't seem wounded at all," he noted.

* * *

Above the city both Hiccup and Rogue were doing battle with their dragons.

"I'm gonna take you down no matter what," said Hiccup.

"You can't stop me, my will is iron!" Rogue yelled defiantly.

"That ain't enough, because my flames that shattered iron!"

Immediately the two dragons collided.

* * *

Ultear was still roaming around the ruined city and then came to a stop before falling to her knees.

' _I start just short of murder_ ,' she said to herself. ' _I didn't go through with it, but that isn't the problem. The fact is I would have done it without a second thought I would have killed an innocent woman. Why would that be the first place my mind turns? Some part of me still craves it._ '

She then looked at her hand which was shaking and began to cry. ' _Who are you fooling? I haven't changed a bit._ Crime Sorcière… _what a joke. I could never atone for the sins of my past._ '

* * *

Meanwhile Ruby was running as quickly as he could back towards the courtyard.

"Is anyone here?" Ruby called. "Hello!" She then looked at the diary she was holding. "I've got to find the others, they need to know."

Suddenly a blast shot towards her from out of nowhere and sent her flying.

"That hurt," she groaned. She looked up and saw baby dragons were surrounding her. "Little dragons, they're everywhere. I'm completely surrounded." They were about to fire at her once again and she immediately reached for her keys. "No, I won't make it in time."

Then suddenly there was a huge explosion and Ruby found herself being lifted into the air by very long red hair. She was then placed back down onto the ground and began to retreat into a small corner of ruined buildings.

"What's happening?" she stared.

She then looked in between the ruined buildings and emerging from the shadows was Flare.

"Flare?" Ruby gasped. She immediately felt uncontrollably nervous. "All right then… thank you, sorry, got a run!"

She then ran as quickly as he could away from Flare, who merely smiled at her.

* * *

Alvin had managed to reach Merrill and was now assisting her in battle with Zirconis.

"Let's see how you like this!" he yelled unleashing a bolt of lightning electrocuting Zirconis.

"Damn you!" Zirconis roared.

"You're going up against the wrong guy you old pervert!" Alvin smirked.

"That cocky attitude will only get you so far you little insect," Zirconis snarled.

Alvin then fired another bolt of lightning intensifying the electricity running through Zirconis' body. However, much to Alvin surprise, he spread his wings dispelling the electricity which was then fired all directions one of them even struck Alvin knocking him to the ground.

Zirconis looked down at him laughing.

"If you're going to go around calling people insect then you best prepare for the consequences!" Alvin roared buying a bolt of lightning straight at him.

Zirconis grunted slightly. "That's good, keep it coming."

He then slammed his claw right in front of Alvin.

"Bastard!" Alvin roared.

* * *

Astrid meanwhile was engaging the baby dragons with her battleaxe slicing them to pieces, she jumped at the way just in time to avoid a blast from the baby dragons. Jellal then jumped into action and unleashed a burst of magic power that consumed them in dark magic.

"There's way too many of them," said Astrid now fighting with him back to back.

" _You're_ feeling overwhelmed? Well this is a first," said Jellal.

"I wouldn't call it that," said Astrid as she sliced a baby dragon with her axe.

"Good then… because if the two of us come together I know we can take on anything."

Then suddenly the ground erupted and they saw the Screaming Death hanging over them.

"You think we can take that?" Astrid asked.

The Screaming Death then pounced on top of them, but before it could swallow them whole the Hiccup from the future jumped out of nowhere and slammed a powerful fist of closet space ploughing into the ground.

"Is that Hiccup?" Astrid stared.

Jellal shook head. "Not exactly."

* * *

Elsewhere in the city Ingrid was badly wounded and needed Helga to support her. During the last attack Ingrid had taken a nasty blow to the legs preventing her from moving.

"Just keep on trying, we'll get you back on your feet all right," said Helga.

"It's no use," Ingrid groaned. "My legs are shot, there's no way I can walk like this."

"Pull yourself together, let's go," Helga pleaded.

"I'm finished, okay. Don't let me wear you down, you have to get out of here right now."

Helga looked at her. "No! We're in this together you hear. Both of us are going to make it."

She then looked up and saw baby dragons in front of them filing their breath attack at them. The attack struck them knocking them to the ground.

"That hurt even more than the last one," Ingrid groaned.

"They almost got at that time," said Helga. She then looked at Ingrid. "It's now or never, just get up please."

Ingrid looked at her. "Helga, my legs won't even move. I'm more concerned for Fishlegs, you have to go and find him for me, one of us has to. Look after him."

Helga shook her head. "I'm not going to leave!"

She then winced and clutched her side and realise that she was more hurt than she realised. "Personally I would like to lay down myself, my side is killing me. They got me good all right." She then looked back at Ingrid. "But I ain't about to run off and save Fishlegs without you. You're coming with me Ingrid, will save her together."

She then placed an arm around her shoulder and lifted her up. "He needs both of us so you've got to get up."

Ingrid looked at her. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I'm going to make."

Helga turned on her. "Don't you even think about giving up, not while we have a world to fight for."

Then suddenly one of the baby dragons emerged from the rubble and immediately fired a breath attack upon them.

* * *

Meanwhile Ruby was running as quickly as she could through the ruins of the city.

"I have to tell them," she panted. "I have to tell everyone as soon as I can."

Toothless was flying over the city trying to look for any survivors.

"Hello! Is anyone there?" he called. As he flew he saw the destruction of the city and grimaced. "This can't be happening, it might be the worst nightmare I ever had, but… it's too horrible to be real."

Snotlout and the twins were still fighting against the baby dragons in another section of the city. Snotlout was pummelling them with his fist in his beast form while the twins are unleashed in every direction.

Snotlout then got raised by one of the baby dragon's breath attacks.

"Watch your back!" Tuffnut yelled.

"And your front," Ruffnut added.

They then saw Snotlout going to his knees.

"That attack hurt you, didn't it?" said Ruffnut.

"It's only a scratch," Snotlout huffed, but then winced.

"Snotlout, you need to pullback so we can provide cover," said Tuffnut.

"No way," said Snotlout.

"If we take them on together we may have a shot at this," said Ruffnut.

Snotlout then rose to his feet. "I'm doing this on my own, you too can go back if you want, but I'm staying. There's just too many of them of them for us to take out, cause a distraction while the two of you rejoin the others."

Then before the twins could stop him, Snotlout charge straight at the baby dragons as they fired their breath attacks upon him.

Snotlout roared. "I'm gonna show you bastards just what _Dragon Tail_ is capable of!"

"We can cause a distraction then you!" Tuffnut yelled.

"Yeah, don't be stupid, it's about to be our thing," said Ruffnut.

Snotlout ignore them and continue to charge at the baby dragons showing no sign of stopping.

" _Beast Attack!_ " Snotlout roared.

* * *

In another part of the city Valka was still fighting the Boneknapper was trying to blow him away with a powerful tornado from her staff. However, to the dragon it was just a calm breeze and then he flung his tail directly at her.

Valka barely had time to dodge as it demolished a building that was beside.

"You can't run forever," the Boneknapper growled.

"Not planning on it," said Valka with a firm grip on her staff. "Like my son, I'll do whatever it takes to bring you down."

"You can certainly talk the talk, let's see if you can fight the fight!" Boneknapper roared and charged towards her.

* * *

Meanwhile overlooking the city was Brila. Fishlegs was preoccupied trying to get the crowd and moved and safe distance.

"This way, there's no guarantee that this spot will stay safe!" Fishlegs yelled. He then looked at Brila and joined her looking down at the destruction of the city. "Let's hope they can do this."

Eret was still fighting against the Timberjack.

"Have a taste of my, _Iron Dragon's Roar!_ " he yelled unleashing his breath attack upon the dragon.

The attack struck the Timberjack with a powerful force launching a large amount of dust into the air.

"All right, now let's see if you can still crawl." However when the dust cleared he discovered that the Timberjack was still standing strong. "What in the name of Thor. I didn't even leave a scratch!"

* * *

Up in the air, Helheim and Red Death were still fighting one another and had just collided with one another.

"Nice going, keep it up!" Hiccup cheered.

"Attack above!" Rogue ordered.

Red Death immediately launched into the air and then flew back down towards them and slammed right into them. They then crashed down upon the city and then took to the sky once again looking completely unharmed.

"That's what you get from underestimating _Dragon Tamers Magic_ ," Rogue smirked.

Then suddenly launching out of the dust was Helheim.

"You haven't seen nothing yet," said Hiccup as they collided into them. "We've only just gotten started."

* * *

Meanwhile Toothless was still flying around the destroyed buildings try to locate survivors.

"Anybody here?" he called.

Then suddenly he saw an explosion close by and immediately flew towards it. The explosion led him towards Gobber, Spitelout and Gustav.

"How are you holding up, Gobber?" Gustav asked.

"I'm fine, lad, but I won't lie we're in a tough spot," said Gobber.

"Yeah, and I thought fighting in the Game seems hard," Spitelout groaned. "That was nothing."

"I'm so glad that you're okay," said Toothless as he flew towards them.

"Toothless!" Gustav beamed.

"When I saw the explosion I feared the worst," said Toothless looking at the relieved.

Then suddenly the building shook as the baby dragons on the other side launched their attacks. It was then that Toothless noticed Gustav clutching his shoulder.

"Crap, something struck my shoulder," he groaned.

"Stay tough, kid," said Spitelout and then he winced. "Ah, my back."

Gobber looked at Toothless. "At least it looks as though you're all right, Toothless."

"I can stay here and hope you guys," Toothless offered

"No, we'll be fine on our own," said Spitelout dismissively. "We've away upper jams and this one."

"You heard the man," said Gobber. "We don't need any more help so get on our here."

Toothless turned on him. "There's no way I'm leaving you behind."

"We're _Dragon Tail_ Vikings and that means we can take care of ourselves."

"Gobber knows what he's talking about," said Gustav.

Toothless looked at them concerned. "Are you sure Gustav?"

"We're glad to be part of this. Hiccup is giving it all he's got so is everyone else, we want to help. If there was ever a time to fight it's now."

Toothless sighed. "I understand. All right, I'll go, but you have to make me a promise."

"What kind of promise?" Spitelout asked.

Toothless looked at them strongly. "The kind where you all stay alive. That's the only way I'll leave."

Gobber chuckled. "Well, you drive a pretty hard bargain cat. You've got yourself a deal."

Toothless nodded and flew away.

Gobber sighed. "Sure hope I wasn't lying."

Gustav blinked. "What did you say?"

"Right were going to let a few dragons take us down," said Spitelout.

Immediately there was another explosion and Toothless could only look back.

* * *

Meanwhile in another part of the city the baby dragons were leaking everything they had from Ragnar the others. Orara saw Heather and immediately rushed over towards her as quickly as he could.

"Heather!" she cried.

Heather looked up and saw Orara running towards. "Orara it's you?"

"I lost track of Ultear a while back, have you seen her?" Orara asked desperately.

Heather shook her head. "I can't say I have."

Immediately a baby dragon appeared out of nowhere and fired his breath attack upon them.

"Get down!" Ragnar yelled tackling them to the ground and the blast sored over their heads.

"Stay focused!" Lyon yelled as he froze the baby dragon in place. "This is a war zone!"

"Sorry," said Orara apologetically as she got to her feet.

Heather looked awkwardly at Ragnar. "Do you think you can remove your hand?"

Ragnar blinked and realise that he had accidentally placed his hand on her ass and quickly drew away. "Sorry," he said as he quickly got his feet.

Heather was blushing slightly as she too got to her feet. "No, it's fine." She then wiggled her fingers awkwardly. ' _Maybe it's time that I admit my feelings?_ '

"Heather move!" Lyon cried.

Heather turned to a baby dragon was directly behind her and had just fired his breath attack upon her. Everything then suddenly moved in slow motion as Ragnar pushed her to the ground and she looked up horrified as the blast went straight through his chest.

Everyone's eyes widened in shock and then suddenly more baby dragons unleashed more breath attacks and they too struck him. Ragnar can feel his breath anything from his body as one of the attack went straight through his head.

Heather then screamed.

"Ragnar!" Lyon cried.

* * *

In another part of the city Ultear just remain on her knees.

' _I'm unfit for this world, I don't deserve to live,_ ' she said to herself.


	72. Time of Life

The battle was still waging on with in the city and Thuggory and Bacchus were fighting side-by-side as they fought against the baby dragons.

"These things are tough," said Thuggory as he just dealt a powerful spinning fit at one of them. "We need to get out of here!"

"No way," said Bacchus defiantly. "I still owe all the _Dragon Tail_ guys a round of drinks to celebrate their victory. We can't just on them."

Thuggory eyes widened. "There's one behind you!"

Bacchus turned and saw a baby dragon speeding towards him and quickly jumped, but he was unable to avoid its tail as it slammed hard into the ground.

In another part of the city, Helga was tending to Ingrid, who had taken a planet of the attack and wasn't moving.

"Come on, hang on," Helga pleaded as the baby dragons advancing towards them. "Someone, we got to get some help here! Please, just breathe Ingrid, you can't go dying on me!"

In another part of the city, Gobber have been tossed around until the rubble by the baby dragons had stormed their hiding place.

"Gobber, no!" Gustav cried.

He attempted to run towards him, but Spitelout stopped him. "Slow down, kid."

"He's hurt!" Gustav cried.

"I've got him," Spitelout assured and then turned to Gobber. "I'm coming Gobber!"

"Forget about me, just get Gustav to safety!" Gobber ordered as the dragons surrounded him.

They then watched in horror as the baby dragons blasted him with a Dragon breath attacks.

"Goodbye, old friend," said Spitelout closing his eyes.

* * *

Meanwhile Heather was crying over Ragnar's body as Lyon tried to get help.

"Shanyla! Where are you?" he cried. "Shanyla! Shanyla!" He then starred as tears formed in his eyes. "We need you, you're the only one who can save him. Please come, he'll die!"

"I'm sorry, I think it's too late," Orara cried.

Heather was in a heap of tears as she cradled Ragnar's body.

* * *

Up in the sky, Hiccup and Rogue were still doing battle.

"The time has finally come for you to die," said Rogue. "Now finish him!"

Red Death immediately pounced upon Helheim, who barely got out of the way.

"What has got an interview, Helheim," said Red Death. "You turn your back on your own kind with this human?"

"Didn't you hear me," Helheim roared. "He may have been born human, but he contained a Dragon Soul and was taught by Ingeel, King of the Fire Dragons. Therefore he is my family!"

"Such unbelievable hubris," said Red Death distastefully. "But if you insist I will not back down to this fight."

"Nor will I!" Helheim roared.

Hiccup then began to absorb the flames of Helheim in order to gain some well needed strength.

Rogue narrowed her eyes. "You fool. You do not know when to give up, death is still your only future."

"I will never give up and this fire has revitalised me!" said Hiccup defiantly and he jumped.

"That being said, you have still restrained multiple injuries, you can't continuing buying time." Hiccup was now speeding towards him with a fist of flames, but he merely sidestepped out of the way and he sore right past her. "Once you've been fatally injured you're done for!"

She then immediately fired a blast of dark magic that nearly struck Hiccup. He then started to fall, but Helheim managed to cause him, but in doing so caused Red Death the ample opportunity to plunge her fangs into his neck.

Helheim tossed his head back due to the pain which sent Hiccup flying, but he was able to grab hold of his neck and Helheim was able to pull away from Red Death. However, the last dragon was being towards them and Rogue at least another burst of dark magic.

Hiccup managed to jump out of the way. "I told you I would never give up!" he yelled as he landed on the back of Red Death. "Besides, I've got a promise that I've got to keep."

"What promise?" Rogue asked.

* * *

Alvin was still fighting against Zirconis.

"Take my _Raging Bolt!_ " Alvin yelled unleashing a bolt of lightning upon Zirconis.

Zirconis merely laughed. "This is ridiculous, after all your blustering this is the best you can do?"

Alvin smirked. "I'm just starting to get warmed up."

Merrill and the others were watching from the sidelines of the battle took place.

"I thought Alvin would have more of an effect than that," said Skullcrusher folding his paws. "Is Zirconis really that powerful?"

"It's true he possesses _Dragon Slaying Magic_ , but no one ever said that it would be an easy task to accomplish," said Stormfly.

"If one is not enough… how about two!" Merrill yelled rushing forwards before anyone could stop. " _Sea Dragon's Tidal Wave!_ "

Merrill then unleashed a powerful wave of water which slammed into Zirconis and mixed with Alvin's electricity. The two elements work so well together that it actually caused Zirconis to groaning pain.

"Nice going, Merrill! Give him hell!" Alvin yelled as he slammed a powerful electrical uppercut right underneath Zirconis' chin.

"That worked?" Skullcrusher stared.

"I think it may have, he's eating dirt now," Stormfly smiled.

Zirconis fell to the ground and Alvin smirked. "So, I seem to remember that you were flapping your gums early about bluster, weren't you?"

However his eyes widened, because Zirconis was getting back onto his feet. "You have the nerve to hit my handsome face! You're trying to make me angry, aren't you?"

"Impossible, that did nothing?" Skullcrsuher stared.

Stormlfy was equally stunned. "It seemed all that it did was make him riled even further."

Zirconis glared down at Alvin. "I had just about enough of this. I play all night with these little girls, but I don't have much interest in messing around with guys." He then turned his attention onto Merrill. "So, I'm going to eat this little morsel right up, clothing and all."

Merrill looked at him fearfully.

"That man is all tough and stringy looking, unappetising, but you…" He then licked his lips and then moved his way towards her.

"Merrill run!" Alvin yelled placing himself between the two of them.

"What are you doing?" Merrill cried.

Zirconis opened his mouth wide as he headed straight towards them.

* * *

Valka was still fighting against the Boneknapper and was feeling quite worn out.

"You can't keep dancing forever," said the Boneknapper.

"I will defeat you, that I can assure you," said Valka strongly as he jumped into the air. " _Sky Dragon's Roar!_ "

Her breath attack slammed right into the armour of the Boneknapper, but he quickly dispelled it by flick of his head.

"I admire your determination, but you are foolish if you believe you can defeat me!" the Boneknapper roared as he unleashed his breath attack upon her.

Valka began spinning her staff around in order to dispel the attack and while she was able to succeed she lost quite a lot of ground. It also hit the Boneknapper from view and then suddenly emerging from the smoke was its bone covered tail and she had no time to dodge it.

* * *

Meanwhile Sting and Rogue were still battling against their dragons and were having as much success either.

"Except your fate and come with me!" Levia roared as he dived down towards rogue.

"Never!" Rogue cried as she jumped out of the way narrowing dodging getting eaten.

"You can't escape your destiny!" Levia roared. "Your heart will become black as night."

"That is never going to happen!" Rogue yelled defiantly. "Not as long as I have _him_."

Sting was still battling his dragon and performed a powerful beam of light. "This thing is a pain in my ass."

He then unleashed a barrage of lasers from his hand, but the Cavan Crusher was able to withstand it and flew down towards him. Sting was able to jump in the way and the Carven Crusher collided with Levia much to his annoyance.

"Start getting in my way!" Levia roared. "If you refuse to help me, then go somewhere else and watch!"

"I will not!" the Carven Crusher glared. "I'm trying to kill this elf you're preventing me from doing so."

Sting soon landed next to Rogue.

"Let's give it to them Rogue!" Sting yelled as light began to form in his hand.

"Right!" Rogue nodded a shadow was formed in her hand.

Immediately the two of them unleashed their magic power upon the dragons in a huge explosion.

"We did it!" they cried in unison.

However when the smoke cleared both dragon were unharmed.

"Ha, your feeble magic has no effect on us!" the Cavern Crusher roared.

"It's insulting, prepared to die for your arrogance," Levia growled.

Then suddenly a brief second later, Levia unleashed a powerful sonic blast that sent Sting line through the air.

"No, Sting!" Rogue cried.

"Rogue," said Levia looking down at her. "I am through from asking, I have no choice but to take you by force."

* * *

In another part of the city, Eret was engaging with the Timberjack which stood directly in front of him.

" _Iron Dragon's Sword!_ " Eret yelled at his hand changed into his sword.

He then slammed the blade onto the Timberjack, but it merely blocked the attack with its wing and then push the attack back. Eret then watched as the Dragon took to the air with the intention to attack.

Eret then channelled Rogue's shadow power into his sword and watch the wings try and get an idea which side was going to attack first.

"The right or the left?" he said. The Timberjack then flew down towards him. ' _Which is it going to be?_ '

Then suddenly the Timerjack swung it's right-wing towards him where his guard was the weakest.

"Oh, crap!" he yelled as the wind struck him and sent him flying into a ruined building.

* * *

Cobra was now flying down towards the Quaken with his hands covered in poison. He slammed his hand right down upon the Quaken, but he had no effect upon him as he flew into the air.

"My scales are as hard as solid rock, your poison will never penetrate them," he said. He then saw up into the air. "Now get out of me protest."

Cobra immediately lost his footing and began to fall towards the ground. He landed on the ground hard and looked up in time to see the Quaken rolling itself into a ball and spinning towards him.

"Now it's time for you to die!" he roared.

* * *

Astrid and Jellal watched as the Hiccup from the future did battle with the Screaming Death was putting up a decent enough fight.

"You can't fight me and protect at the same time," the Screaming Death roared.

"No, but I'm sure going to try!" Hiccup yelled and unleashed a burst of flames from his hand.

The Screaming Death then performed its bloodcurdling roar which quickly dispelled the flames and then slammed his gigantic tail on top of Hiccup.

"And you failed," he roared as he began flying down towards Astrid with his mouth wide open.

Jellal quickly placed himself in front of her. "Astrid, get back."

"No," said Astrid defiantly with a firm grip on her battleaxe. "I'm not going to let you sacrifice yourself."

Hiccup looked up and his eyes widened. "Astrid!"

* * *

Ruby meanwhile was running through the street as quickly as she could.

' _I've got a hurry_ ,' she said to herself. ' _I need to tell everybody about what I found_.'

She then immediately turned around the corner and then her eyes widened, because standing in front of him were several baby dragons. She was about to turn back when she saw more appearing directly behind her.

' _No!_ ' she cried to herself.

* * *

Ultear was still on her knees within the ruins of the city and she began to think back upon her past.

' _I've lived my entire life in the shadows, ruled by darkness, I thrived upon deception, contempt, anger and death. And still I receive forgiveness and compassion, Ragnar around me a second chance at life. I wanted to atone for my sins so I founded Crime Sorcière, the Witches Crime. But I will never find salvation, as my core I'm still the same, a witch crumbling under the weight of her own crimes. One who would take the life of an innocent, perhaps that's because I myself don't deserve to live._ '

* * *

She then remembered when she was a young girl serving under Hel in Grimoire Heart. She was at that moment in a massive library looking over spells and transcript in them when Hel approached her.

Upon hearing her present she immediately jumped out of the chair and went on one knee.

"Oh my," said Hel looking at all the books and parchment on her table. "All these books. I see you have developed a keen interest in _Time Magic_ , have you not?"

"Yes, Master Hel," Ultear nodded. "It is quite fascinating ma'am."

"You needn't be so informal, child. Please, get on your feet."

Ultear immediately rose to her feet and then looked at her. "Master Hel, you once sparked my curiosity when you spoke of the magic that could retrieve lost happiness. Do you remember, ma'am?"

"You're referring to _Arc of Time Magic_?" Hel asked curiously.

Ultear nodded and then held a book out to her. "Yes, I've finally been able to track down some information. This will contain some notes that I believe may teach me how to use it."

" _The_ _Last Ages Spell_ ," she gasped. "I absolutely forbid its use."

Ultear looked heartbroken. "But why? This is exactly the spell I've been hoping to discover. It turned back time and let you do things over again. This magic… I would do whatever it takes to master it someday."

"The price of mastering _The Last Ages Spell_ is quite a heavy one indeed. It does in fact turned back time, but the caster must forfeit their time in return."

Ultear looked up. "Their time?"

"In other words, their life. Time will travel back for the world at large, but for the Viking that casts this spell. They'll lose the rest of the remaining time."

Ultear looked crestfallen, because she soon realised that the spell would be unable to provide her what she wanted.

"Oh, I see. Thank you" she said sadly.

* * *

In the present time, Ultear was still on her knees contemplating about the life.

' _At this point, I will gladly pay,_ ' she said to herself raising her hand. ' _If giving up this life of pain and sorrow, if that can truly set the world as it was then so be it_.'

Hands then began to glow and then she slammed into the ground and immediately a powerful burst of magic power erupted around her.

" _Arc of Time: Last Ages!_ " she yelled.

She immediately felt the magic around her as if it was telling her body apart and it was extremely painful, but despite this he persevered. Then suddenly her blood veins began to glow starting from a hand and started to make their way upwards towards her arms and then all over her body.

' _I must endure it!_ ' she yelled defiantly. ' _This pain, it's nothing compared to what I have brought into this world. All the suffering that I have inflicted upon others. Their pain! There death! My life has been torn from me. All this payment for the lives of others, this is what I give to the world! I will take this pain and tenfold more, whatever the cost I will pay it! I will sacrifice my life, my future!'_

She then unleashed all the magic power in one go and she started to remember the good things of life.

' _I ran through the valley of death, revelling in sin to escape my demons, my loneliness. Never truly realising that I was no longer alone. Ragnar… Jellal… and sweet Orara. I never deserved their forgiveness, their warmth was wasted on me, I was blind to it. Obsessed with my past I could never live in the present no less than the future, but now I can find redemption. I can give the time I would have wasted in this world to the ones that I love to live and be a part of it._ '

She then once again unleashed the magic around her in attempt to undo everything and to save everyone.

' _I asked the hands of time to reverse, to turn the world to once it once was, if only briefly before it was thrown into chaos by that damned Gate. Let my life be enough!_ '

Immediately her magic was sent in all directions and she could only stare at its beauty. Her magic powers soon covered the entire world.

Ultear still remain her knees her body now smouldering and her cloths were ripped to shreds when she looked at the sky she could still see the red moon and the buildings surrounding her was still in ruins.

' _It worked_ ,' she said to herself feeling dizzy. ' _I've turned back time_. She can only wonder how much time she had managed to reverse and then turn towards the clock which had said that was 2:30 in the morning. Then to her horror she saw that it was 2:29. ' _What? One minute? Is that what my life was worth, just one minute? No._ '

She then collapsed from exhaustion and in despair. ' _This can't be what they all get, it's not enough. I failed them_.'

* * *

Meanwhile Ragnar tackled both Heather and Shanyla to the ground just as a baby dragon fired its breath attack at them.

"Get down!" he yelled as the breath attack soared over their heads.

"Stay focused," said Lyon freezing the baby dragon in place with his ice. "This is a war zone!"

"Sorry," said Orara as she pulled herself up.

Heather looked awkwardly at Ragnar. "Do you think you can remove your hand?"

Ragnar blinked and realise that he had accidentally placed his hand on her ass and quickly drew away. "Sorry," he said as he quickly got his feet.

Heather was blushing slightly as she too got to her feet. "No, it's fine."

Then suddenly their eyes widened as a vision of Ragnar being blasted in the chest by a breath attack appeared in their minds.

"What just happened here?" Lyon stared.

Ragnar looked as confused as he did. "I died? I don't get it."

"The dream?" Orara offered.

"But I saw it as well," Heather frowned.

"What in the name of Thor was that?" Ragnar asked. "I'm starting to get totally creeped out here you guys."

"Some of the little ones were climbing at that rubble there," Orara pointed.

They all turned to issue was pointing and a split second later several baby dragons appear directly in front of them preparing to fire their breath attacks at them.

"They came just as we knew they would," Lyon gasped.

Ragnar quickly places hands together and immediately froze the baby dragons in place.

"What in the Helheim is going on?" Lyon yelled.

"That was exactly what we just saw," Ragnar frowned. "We all knew, but how?"

* * *

They weren't the only ones being affected by the time distortion, Helga and Ingrid saw a brief glimpse of the future and immediately turned round the corner just as several baby dragons fired at them.

"That was way too close, it was like I saw it coming," said Ingrid. "I could see that far in the future."

Helga frowned. "Premonition? Let's make sure it doesn't come true, come on!"

"Yeah," Ingrid nodded and the two of them ran.

* * *

Gobber, Spitelout and Gustav also saw a brief glimpse of their future.

"It was like a dream," said Gustav.

"But we were all wide-awake?" Spitelout frowned.

"It's dangerous to stay here," said Gobber.

* * *

In truth Ultear's sacrifice turned the tide of the battle in more ways than she could have comprehend. Everybody all across the world so brief glimpse of one-minute in their future, but much like a dream it quickly slipped from their memories and only leaving behind a fleeting eerie sensation for those who experienced it first-hand. So this strange this strange phenomenon went largely unnoticed.

However, for the Vikings that were battling with in the capital it made all the difference. Witnessing that one-minute in their future saved many lives and gave everyone a chance they needed to turn the tide of the battle.

* * *

Merrill saw brief claims in her future just as Zirconis pounced on her.

"What was that?" she frowned.

"We can figure it out later!" Alvin yelled as he rushed towards her.

Merrill woke up and quickly jumped out of the way just as Zirconis tried to take a bite out of her.

" _Sea Dragon's Roar!_ " Merrill yelled unleashing her breath attack.

" _Lightning Dragon's Roar!_ " Alvin yelled doing the same.

The two breath attacks collided which caused Zirconis to be pushed backwards.

"That vision or premonition," Skullcrusher blinked. He then looked at Stormfly. "Was that you're doing Stormfly?"

Stormfly shook her head. "I swear it wasn't me."

Toothless frowned at them. "Then what could have caused it?"

* * *

Bacchus saw the vision of his future right in front of him.

"I must be seeing things," he said.

Then on a hunch he jumped just as a baby dragon pounced at him from behind. He then slammed his foot right on top of the baby dragon ploughing it into the ground.

"What was that?" Thuggory stared.

* * *

Eret was facing against the Timberjack as it dive down towards him.

' _Which is going to be?_ ' Eret frowned. Then he got a brief glimpse of the future and immediately retracted his sword. "I've got you now!"

He then slammed his iron club right in the chin of the dragon knocking it back.

' _That was weird, it was like I knew what it was going to do_ ,' Eret frowned.

* * *

Valka was still facing against the Boneknapper and she was at that moment within the air when she got her premonition.

"What the?" she blinked.

Then Cloudjumper appeared out of nowhere and grabbed her pulling her to safety just as the Boneknapper tail emerged from the smoke.

" _Sky Dragon's Roar_!" Valka yelled unleashing her breath attack upon the dragon.

This time she caught the dragon while it was off-balance and the attack caused it to check and land on the ground.

Valka then looked at Cloudjumper. "How did you know that I was going to be in trouble?"

"I saw this vision," he said looking at her confused. "I don't have to explain it."

Valka frowned. "Neither do I."

* * *

Hiccup was still trying to protect Astrid from the Screaming Death when everyone there had that strange premonition.

"Was that the future?" he blinked.

"Hiccup watch out!" Astrid called.

Hiccup looked up and realised was about to happen and immediately launched a burst of flames causing him to shift. It was a good thing he did that, because a brief second later the Screaming Dearth had run his tail towards him.

Hiccup landed on the ground and immediately performed a massive leap with claims covering his body.

"Take this beast!" he yelled and slammed a full powered flaming fist across the dragon's chin.

He was hit with such force that the dragon was knocked unconscious and landed on the ground with a massive thud.

"What just happened?" Jellal frowned.

"It was as if we saw brief glimpse of our future," said Astrid.

* * *

Cobra was in the air as he slammed his poison covered fist into the Quaken's back and was able to avoid his fate.

* * *

Sting got so the attack coming from the Cavern Crusher and unleashed a powerful burst of light pushing it backwards.

* * *

Levia meanwhile was looking around for Rogue, who had sunk into the shadows and vanished.

"You can't hide forever Rogue," he said. "Show yourself!"

"I control my own destiny not you," said Rogue as she appeared directly behind him within his own shadow.

She then jumped out of the shadow directly behind Levia and unleashed a blast of shadows upon him.

* * *

Meanwhile Ruby was running through the street as quickly as she could and was approaching a corner, but then she came to a stop.

"Wait a second," she said. "If I turn around that corner…" A few moments to go image of her turning round the corner flowed into her mind where she was ambushed by several baby dragons. "Not going there."

Consider turning round the corner she kept on going straight on.

* * *

Up in the air, the Rogue from the future witnessed the same phenomenon and was equally as confused as everyone else.

"What is this?" she stared. "It's like time has been disrupted somehow. Has something interfered with the _Eclipse Gate_?"

Rogue then looked up and saw Helheim flying directly above them and Hiccup then came flying down towards her.

"You had better keep your eyes on me!" Hiccup yelled and then punched a hard in the face.

Rogue landed on the scaling back of Red Death and looked at Hiccup.

"I have a promise that I intend to keep," said Hiccup strongly.

Rogue rose back to her feet. "What promise? What do you mean?"

"My future self came here making a promise that he would set things right and I am going to fulfil that promise!" Hiccup yelled defiantly as his fist burst into flames.

Hiccup then charged directly at her with his fist raised.

* * *

Meanwhile Ruby had finally managed to reach the courtyard and was now rushing towards everyone else, who were busy watching the fight between Zirconis and Alvin and Merrill.

Throk then looked Mala. "Princess, the Vikings can handle things from this point on so we should leave."

"I can escort you," said Vala.

"For now it is my duty to remain here," said Mala strongly. "I cannot desert my people in a time of crisis."

"But Princess it's dangerous," said Vala.

"Hey, I got something!" Ruby's voice cried. They all turned and saw Ruby rushing towards them as quickly as she could. When she reached them she held out her diary. "You need to look at this now."

"What you want to show us?" Mala asked.

"It's my future self diary, the Hiccup from the future must have brought it here with him," she said.

"What does it say?" Vala asked curiously.

"Read it," said Ruby handed over to Vala.

Vala began looking through the diary and read it out loud, "'Our one hope is that the _Eclipse Gate_ in this time period gets destroyed. If that happens the one that exists in the future will disappear as well and none of the horrible things will ever happen.'"

"But can that be true?" Throk asked.

"Yes, it can't be around in the future if we destroy the _Gate_ in our time," Ruby explained. "There will be an entirely new future where the _Eclipse_ was destroyed in the past. It will be gone forever just a part of ancient history and if it's not around Rogue will not have a way to travel back in time."

"But all of that has already happened in our time so is it still possible to change it?" Mala pointed out.

"Yeah, and if we're lucky Rogue and the dragons will get out of our time for good," said Toothless.

"But one that mean that Hiccup would vanish as well?" Skullcrusher asked.

Toothless looked at him. "He came here in the hopes to prevent the tragedy in his time, I think he would destroy without a second thought. Besides, what do we have to lose?"

"It's certainly worth a try," said Stormfly.

Throk nodded in agreement. "You're right…" He then turned towards the _Eclipse Gate_ , "but it is rather a daunting task. How can we destroy that massive structure when our resources are spread so thin?"

"It won't be an easy job, that's for sure," Skullcrusher agreed.

"Easy or not we have to find a way," said Ruby determinedly. "The future of the entire world is at stake here. Let's take it down, Hiccup made a promise to protect the future so how can we do anything less?"


	73. Fighting For Tomorrow

Ruby and Vala were now standing directly in front of the Eclipse Gate in the hopes to destroy it.

"We gotta hit it with all the magic power we can muster," said Ruby.

"Let's go," said Vala.

Immediately the two of them and tossed the key the end they started to form into a circle just like before. Then just like before they began to channel their magic into the keys by holding hands and kneeling in front of one another.

" _Now Open_ …" Vala began.

" _The Gate of all Twelve Signs_ …" said Ruby.

" _The Zodiac!_ " they yelled in unison.

Immediately all 12 members of the Zodiac appeared in a burst of golden light.

"Go, take it down!" Ruby commanded.

Immediately the 12 members of the Zodiac down towards the _Eclipse Gate_ and struck it with all their might. This caused a massive explosion of golden light that blinded everybody. Sadly when the light faded the _Gate_ was completely unharmed.

"Not a scratch, I don't believe it," Ruby gasped.

"That's because it was created from extremely magic resistant Adamantium alloy," Throk explained. "Destroying it will not be easy."

"We can do it," said Ruby determinedly.

* * *

Meanwhile in the air, Helheim had just collided with Red Death with Hiccup still on top of him. Hiccup then jumped on the back of Red Death to face Rogue once again as Red Death collided into a building.

Rogue nearly got hit by a piece of rubble and soon both Helheim and Red Death were fighting claw to claw with one another as the two of them rose up into the air

"I'll knock you out of here," said Hiccup slamming his prosthetic leg hard in the gut of Rogue. Hiccup then dealt a powerful strike with his other leg which was covered in flames. "Back to your own time!"

Rogue jumped back and glared at him. "I won't leave until I'm finished here."

"And what are you going to do with the Rogue in this timeline?" Hiccup asked.

Rogue immediately melted into shadows. "She and I will finally merge into one like two shadows overlapping in darkness."

"That's not going to happen!" Hiccup yelled determinedly. "I won't let you take away her future!"

Rogue was now making her way down belly of Red Death. "If Acnologia lives there is no future." Hiccup began to look around wildly for Rogue. "That's why I came here to take back our world!"

Then suddenly a bright light shot through Hiccup as he winced in pain.

Helheim was also starting to get overpowered by Red Death and Hiccup soon toppled of Red Death's back and onto her tail. Fortunately he was able to grab hold of it just before he fell off, but it was a near thing.

He then glared as Rogue rematerialized on the back of Red Death smirking. He then slowly began to lose his grip, but with both hands he was able to pull himself back up, but he was completely worn out now.

Rogue then laughs.

"What about Skull?" Hiccup asked which stopped her laughing immediately.

"Skull is dead," she said.

"Not today," said Hiccup lifting himself up to look at her. "And like everybody else I'm sure your friend is terrified all because of what you're doing."

* * *

Skull was indeed terrified as was Hookfang as they watched the battle between Sting and Rogue against their dragons.

"I do not like with this is going," said Skull.

"Bah, they've got this," said Hookfang dismissively.

* * *

Rogue looked at Hiccup with an emotionless expression.

"One year from now, Skull dies," she said.

"And you couldn't do anything about it," Hiccup assumed.

"No, it was unavoidable," she said shaking her head.

"So what? Skull is alive now!" Hiccup pointed out.

"That doesn't matter to me!" Rogue roared. "Because the Rogue that waste time playing around with her cat is dead as well."

Hiccup then ran straight towards. "But you can change that!"

"You don't understand that I'm going to change everything!" she roared and or above light and shadow began to form in her hand. "After all the pain and suffering I see, I know our only hope is through total destruction!"

She then flung her hand forward unleashed a wave of lasers of light and shadow at Hiccup. However, none of them seem to touch Hiccup as he charged towards.

"That doesn't sound like to me!" Hiccup yelled as he jumped from blaster blast. "All you are going to causes more pain!"

"And that is the price that must be paid to secure my future!" she yelled as he kept on firing lasers at Hiccup, who kept on dodging them. "You want happiness but everyone, but it will never happen!"

"I will never stop trying, I will never stop fighting for my future and everybody else's!" Hiccup roared. "The world that we live in is what we make of it! It's not just up to you!"

Then emerging from the side of Red Death was Helheim.

"Hiccup!" he yelled as he extended his claw.

Rogue's eyes widened as Hiccup kept on charging towards her. "No matter what is going to happen tomorrow…" Hiccup then wrapped himself in the flames of Helheim and then like a bullet he slammed right into Rogue, "I'm going to be fighting to live today!"

Rogue found himself covered in flames as they shot off of Red Death and Hiccup allow the flames to expand and Rogue screams as he roared.

* * *

Meanwhile Ruby and Vala were still trying to destroy the _Eclipse Gate_. They unleash the 12 members of the Zodiac once again upon the _Gate_.

"Can't keep this up…" Ruby winced, "for much longer."

Then just like before their magic power unleashed a massive explosion of golden light, but when it traded like before the _Gate_ had no scratch upon it.

Ruby then fell to her knees exhausted. "How the heck did that not do anything?"

Taurus was standing directly in front of her. "Even after all that we couldn't even move it an inch."

Then suddenly they saw a bright light heading straight towards them in the distance. They looked up and saw a massive fireball heading straight towards them.

"We need to get away from the _Gate_ you guys! Something's coming!" Toothless cried.

Immediately they scattered running as quickly as they could away from the _Gate_. It was a good thing they did, because the moment the fireball collided with the _Gate_ there was a huge explosion that could be seen all across the city.

When the smoke cleared it was discovered that what collided with the _Gate_ was none other than Red Death and she had completely destroyed it. Also standing on her back was none other than Hiccup and at his feet was Rogue, who was now unconscious.

"Hiccup totally destroyed the _Gate_!" Toothless cheered.

"Nice work," Ruby smiled.

"I don't believe it," said Throk in bewilderment. "The _Gate_ was designed to be indestructible."

"What you think is going to happen now?" Mala asked.

"If we were correct the _Eclipse_ should cease to exist in the future as well," said Vala.

"Which means Rogue can't use it to travel back to our time," Skullcrusher added.

"And everything should go back to normal," Stormfly finished.

Then Red Death began to glow in a golden light.

"The dragon is starting to glow," Toothless noted.

"What's happening?" Ruby asked looking confused.

Red Death wasn't the only one that was glowing, Helheim too was glowing as well.

"We are turning to our own time," said Helheim.

* * *

The Timberjack that Eret had been facing was now glowing as well along with the Quaken that Cobra had been fighting.

"So you're finally turning tail and running," Cobra huffed. "Get lost."

* * *

Zirconis was also glowing much to his dismay.

"No, this can't be!" he roared.

"Well, ain't that something," said Alvin.

"He's disappearing," said Merrill.

"No! You're just a bunch of stupid humans and elves!" Zirconis roared defiantly and he slammed his claw at Alvin, who dodged it. "There's no way you can defeat me!"

Mala then approached him. "You have lost," she said.

Merrill looked at her with a panicked look on her face. "Don't get near him!"

"Princess!" Throk cried as he drew his sword.

"Bad idea," said Alvin.

Mala looked up at Zirconis. "The gateway between our times was created as a result of my decree which means I am solely to blame for your timing into disarray. Your kind lived 800 years ago in the past and humans, elves and dwarfs live in the present day. Therefore we were never fated to have conflict with each other, but I foolishly interfered and I apologise for that."

Zirconis narrowed his eyes at her. "And who are you?"

"My name is Mala and I am the Crown Princess of this kingdom," she said.

"So, the humans have a kingdom now," said Zirconis. "In my time you were nothing more than tribesman and the elves and the closest thing to a kingdom while the dwarfs were starting to create one."

"Much has changed since the dragons vanished from the lands," said Mala.

Zirconis raised an eye. "Vanished?"

"We do not know what happened to the dragons, but at the very end of the Dragon War they just simply vanished from existence. All that remains of the bones of the dragons that are buried beneath the Coliseum, but there are far too few to be the entire race."

"Interesting," said Zirconis rubbing his chin. Then suddenly he realised that he was vanishing. "Hey, wait! What's happening? I got tricked by a stupid human!"

He then vanished into thin air and soon the same thing was happening to the other dragons, including the baby dragons that Red Death had unleashed upon the city.

* * *

Valka watched as the Boneknapper she had been facing vanished.

"They did it," she smiled.

* * *

Future Hiccup, Astrid and Jellal watch as the unconscious Screaming Death vanished.

"What happened?" Astrid frowned.

"Their vanishing," said Jellal.

Hiccup smiled. "Looks like they've figured out."

* * *

Sting and Rogue were confused by what just happened.

"So… uh, was that us?"

* * *

Hookfang and Skull watch as the baby dragons then vanished.

"I think we finally beaten those dragons," said Hookfang.

Skull frowned. "Not exactly."

* * *

Hiccup was still standing in front of Rogue from the future as Helheim began to vanish like the rest.

"I will never forget you, Hiccup Haddock," said Helheim as he vanished.

"I could have done it without you, my friend," said Hiccup solemnly.

Ruby smiled. "They're all gone."

* * *

The other guilds watched as the baby dragons started to vanish one by one.

"The little guys have disappeared," said Wartihog.

"Did we beat them guys?" Speedfist asked.

Everyone began cheering.

"I don't know what just happened, but I like it!" Gobber yelled triumphantly.

"I bet it was Hiccup," said Gustav smiling broadly. "I just knew he could do it."

* * *

Eret watched as the Timberjack vanished into thin air.

"Did the thing just vanished?" Eret frowned.

Ruffnut then found him and beamed. "I can't believe we pulled it off."

"Yeah, not quite," said Eret.

"This doesn't sit right with me," said Cobra as he laid against the rubble.

Hiccup the First overlooked the battlefield with a grim expression. "All those Dragon Slayers gave it all their all, but not a single one could slay a dragon."

* * *

Sting and Rogue were sitting on the ground thinking about what just happened.

"Man, that was totally pathetic," said Sting.

"And we call ourselves _Dragon Slayers_?" Rogue muttered. "What a joke."

"Just goes to show how tough those things really are," said Sting looking at her. "And Acnologia is more powerful than them."

"Honestly I would rather not think about that right now."

"No doubt," Sting nodded. "It's weird we fought all those dragons and now they're gone, but this sure doesn't feel like a victory."

"It is a victory," said Rogue smiling at him. "We protected our friends didn't we?"

Sting smirked at her and she did the same.

* * *

All over the city the members of the different Guilds were celebrating the defeat of the dragons. Heather and Orara were hugging one another laughing, Snotlout yelling victoriously and Stoick was hugging Valka.

* * *

Meanwhile the future Rogue found herself disappearing.

"I may not know Rogue very well, but she will never become you," said Hiccup strongly.

"The Shadow," she said and Hiccup frowned at her. "The Shadow will continue to follow me, she's relentless and she won't be satisfied until she swallowed me whole. And then on that fateful day that I lose Skull it will finally happen… I will be swallowed by the darkness forever."

"That's not going to happen."

"It most certainly will. One year from now, you must warn the Rogue from your time to protect Skull from one year from now." Her lips then began to move and Hiccup's eyes widened in horror. "They will kill Skull."

She then vanished into thin air like the dragons leaving a bewildered Hiccup behind.

* * *

Meanwhile Hiccup and the future so that he himself was beginning to glow and Astrid and Jellal stared at him.

"What's happening to you?" Astrid asked.

Hiccup smiled at her. "It would seem as if my present self has managed to destroy the Eclipse Gate created a whole new history."

Jellal nodded in understanding. "Without the gate you never went back in time, nor did Rogue meaning that he was unable to summon the dragons from the past."

Hiccup nodded. "More than likely it will mean that I will never have existed, but I am okay." He then looked at Astrid and smiled. "Before I get to see your face one last time."

Then he vanished into thin air.

* * *

Ruby was at the courtyard and saw that her diary was vanishing into thin air. She then looked at Hiccup, who still remained motionless.

"It's over," she said. "The nightmare is finally over."

Hiccup sighed. "For this point on we'll make our own history without any fear that the past or future may intervene."

Ruby then looked at him. "Do you think that your future self is happy?"

Hiccup looked into the sky. "I know he is."


	74. The Grand Banquet

**I sorry for the late update, but I was on holiday and the Wi-Fi wasn't working at the place we stayed at for the entire week.**

* * *

It has been several days since the Grand Magic Games finished and in celebration of their victory against the dragon invasion, King Macario had invited the Guild to the Palace for a huge celebration for their victory.

Vala was with the other girls of _Dragon Tail_ getting changed into a dress and was feeling very uncomfortable.

"Is it really necessary that I wear this outfit to the celebration?" she asked.

"Yeah, because it looks amazing on you," Ruby winked.

"It looks great, very flattering," Adelaide smiled.

Astrid nodded in agreement. "You look beautiful."

"Don't worry, I bet you would look cute in just about anything," said Merrill.

Somehow those complementary didn't make Vala feel any less awkward.

* * *

The civilians had soon return to the city, or what was left of it. The civilians didn't really knew about the dragons and assume that the destruction was caused by some sort of event by the Viking.

"Look at this, some folks are saying that the evacuation the other day was because dragons were attacking the city," said a guy to his buddies in a café.

"That's ridiculous, everybody knows those things ain't real."

"I don't know, a lot of people are saying that they saw them."

A waitress merely shook her head at them. "It was just those Vikings getting out of hand."

The guy who spoke first shook his head. "It can't be their fault, because the king is throwing a huge party in the Royal Palace tonight."

One of the men leaned back in his chair with his hands behind his head. "Oh, man. I wish I could be there."

One of them chuckled. "That's the first, they never entered the games with the big blowout like that."

"I guess the king was really into it this year."

* * *

At the Palace ballroom, all the Guild that had taken part in the battle against the dragons were gathered in their formal attire. Astrid, Ruby and the others soon entered the ballroom to find a large spread had been erected.

"Oh wow," Merrill breathed, who was wearing a beautiful sea green dress.

Snotlout, who was wearing a form of leather armour with a fur cape, smiled upon seeing them. "Hey, you're here."

"Well let's party," Agatha cried, who was wearing a purple dress, as she drank down an entire bottle of wine.

"Just don't get too drunk in case they throw us out," said Hiccup, who was in a green dinner jacket, shaking his head.

"Yeah, last thing we need is for someone to mess this evening up," Ragnar nodded, who was wearing a white tuxedo.

"Come on, we should enjoy ourselves," said Eret, wearing a black tuxedo.

"I agree," Astrid nodded, who was in a beautiful blue dress as she took a glass of wine. "It's nice to talk to our former competitors."

"Let's just hope the twins don't blow the entire palace," said Hiccup shaking his head.

Eret looked at him. "They wouldn't do that?"

"I wouldn't like to bet on that," said Ragnar folding his arms.

"At least they've got a nice spread," said Snotlout as he began to dig into the food.

Agatha was holding a pair of wine bottles out and was looking quite drunk. "Look guys, I'm seeing double!" she cired.

Spitelout narrowed his eyes, who was wearing something similar to his son. "You heard Hiccup, behave yourself."

Toothless and the other Exceeds also dressing up for the occasion.

"The King is being extremely generous," said Skullcrusher, who was in a small green tuxedo.

"Considering that we did just a dragon invasion, I think he had caused to be generous," said Toothless, who was wearing a black tuxedo matching his black fur.

Stormfly sighed, who was in a yellow and blue dress. "We'll see about that last past tonight. I'm sure one of the hooligans will test the limits of his good nature."

"My money is on the twins," said Cloudjumper, who was wearing a crimson red jacket.

* * *

 _Blue Pegasus_ were looking around in awe.

"The Palace is amazing," said Ase, who was wearing a scarlet red dress. "I can see myself living here someday."

"Truly a place of glamour in beauty," said Olatrand, who was wearing an Admiral's hat.

"Hip-hip hurray way for King Olatrand!" the _Trimens_ , who were all wearing semen in uniforms.

Olatrand then grabbed a microphone and turned the orchestra. "Now man, let's take it from the top… _King of Beasts_ flat."

The orchestra was confused by this request.

"Top of what?" said the man holding the double bass

"Uh, do you know he means?" the guy holding the violin asked.

Adelaide was now with Bacchus, who was wearing a navy blue uniform and the two of them touched tankards with one another.

"Want to go for another round?" Bacchus asked.

"You're on and I'm playing to win this time," Adelaide smiled.

* * *

Eventually the members of _Valkyrie's Sword_ had arrived with in the eyes of several young males.

Camicazi was wearing a beautiful purple dress and her dirty blonde hair was now in a bun and was looking very uncomfortable. "I can't believe I'm wearing this ridiculous thing," she grumbled.

Babs, who was wearing a white dress and had also tied her hair in a bun, frowned. "How come, because you look gorgeous."

Athessa, who was wearing a leaf green dress, nodded. "The gown is quite stunning on you."

"The only way can look better is with a smile," said Kelail, who was wearing a blue dress and also had him in a bun.

Neria was the only one of them remaining quiet in her small yellow dress.

* * *

Stoick was wearing his Viking Lord outfit and was with his former teammates with a huge smile on his face and a tankard in his hand.

"Never thought I'd see the day that the king would invite me to a royal shindig," said Stoick shaking his head.

"Let's just hope that those charges of yours don't ruminate," said Johann with a small laugh.

"How do we stop worrying about what other charges may or may not do and celebrate this occasion," Valka suggested.

"I'll drink to that!" said Gobber joyously.

* * *

Fishlegs was in the hallway writing in a book, he was dressed in a brown leather coat as he jotted down his final entry.

' _We put everything on the line that day, July 7th. We fought dragons and guarantee the future of the planet_ ,' he wrote.

Ruby, who was wearing a pink dress with furs, then made his way down the corridor and approached him. "You done?" she asked.

Fishlegs turned and looked at her. "Hey, Ruby," he smiled.

Ruby frowned. "Don't tell me you're skipping the party just to write?"

Fishlegs shrugged. "I'm not good with parties."

"There must makes you one of the few black sheep in the _Dragon Tail_ family," Ruby joked.

Fishlegs chuckled. "I guess." He then sighed. "What you think happened to the Hiccup of the future?"

Ruby looked a bit saddened. "I've got no clue, but where ever he is I don't think that he would appreciate you sitting down writing the celebration of our victory is going on in the ballroom."

Fishlegs stood up. "I guess you're right, but I'm still not comfortable with it."

Ruby then grabbed his arm. "Then let me make you comfortable."

Fishlegs cheeks turned pink and yellow feeling that it wouldn't make him comfortable.

* * *

No sooner have they entered the ballroom they began to take a few bits to eat and that is when Princess Mala approached them.

"Hello, Ruby," she said with a smile.

Ruby nearly choked on the cake she was eating and she immediately turned towards Mala. "Princess Mala?"

"I'm glad you're enjoying the food," Mala chuckled. She then looked at Fishlegs. "And who is this?"

"Oh, this is Fishlegs Ingerman, is a member of our Guild," said Ruby gesturing to Fishlegs.

Fishlegs looked at the printer slightly awkward. "You're Highness," he said with a small bowel.

Mala smiled at him before turning back to Ruby. "So you're a member of the illustrious Heartfull Clan."

"My dad made quite a name for himself," said Ruby rubbing the back of her head.

"Not only that, but he was actually a close friend of mine," Mala added.

Ruby blinked. "I had no idea."

Mala sighed sadly. "Indeed, which makes me feel all the worse for causing you so much trouble."

"It's okay," Ruby assured. "That's the life of the Guild Vikings after all."

"Hey, more than half of our Guild seem to find themselves in trouble sometimes not on their own accord," Fishlegs nodded.

Mala chuckled. "Then it sounds like it's never a dull moment in your Guild."

"That's certainly one way to put it," said Ruby.

* * *

Heather was wearing a sea green dress and approached Ragnar, who was at the table eating.

"Enjoying yourself?" she asked.

Ragnar turned and looked at her. "Sure am, but what about you?"

Heather smiled. "Do you even have to ask?"

Lyon, who was wearing a greenish blue suit, then approached them. "Perhaps you shouldn't let your feelings to her Ragnar."

Ragnar blinked and turned and looked at it. "What?"

"I think that she deserves to hear the truth from your lips and although I do love her it's clear she doesn't feel the same way."

"Yeah, no duh," said Veger, who was wearing a black tuxedo and Torn, who was wearing a blue suit, in unison.

Ragnar groaned. "Can we just enjoy the night without any interruptions?"

Heather placed arm around his. "Then let's go to a place will be can't be disturbed."

* * *

Merrill was with Shanyla, who was wearing a pink and blue dress, and the two of them were staring transfixed upon some jelly.

"Whoa, it's so sparkly it looks like a jewel," said Merrill.

Shanyla nodded. "It's beautiful. I wonder what it tastes like."

Soon the two of them took pieces of the jelly onto their plates and began eating.

"So good," they said in a dreamy voice in unison.

"I see you girls are enjoying yourself," said Hiccup the First as he approached them.

Merrill's eyes widened. "You're here?"

Hiccup the First chuckled. "You didn't think I would miss in a celebration like this did you?"

Shanyla looked at Merrill with a concerned look. "Uh, is something the matter?"

"Uh… no I'm just fine," she said quickly.

Shanyla was still pretty confused

' _I kinda forgot that only people in Dragon Tail can see Master Hiccup,'_ said Merrill to herself.

Hiccup the First smiled at her. "You did very well against the dragon, but I advise the next time you don't hesitate."

"I'll make a note of that," said Merrill. Shanyla just stared at her as she talked and she started to make a way back towards the table. "Why exactly are you still here, Master? Shouldn't you go back to Cove Island?"

"And I will," Hiccup the First promised. "The first I would like to celebrate this tremendous victory."

Merrill frowned. "That must be tricky considering that your ghost."

Hiccup the First chuckled. "True, but I never said it would be easy to celebrate."

Shanyla soon returned with a slightly nervous look. "Merrill, are you talking to a ghost or something?"

Merrill merely rubbed her chin awkwardly trying to bring them away best to explain this.

* * *

Camicazi was walking through the hallway and tripped on her dress. She would have fallen face first onto the ground if Hiccup hadn't caught her.

"You are right?" he asked.

Camicazi looked at him and regained her composure. "I'm fine."

"I take it that you don't wear a dress very often," Hiccup assumed.

"I had more important things to do than go to parties," said Camicazi hotly. She then looked at him and took a deep breath. "It's fine for that I walked into you, because I have a few questions for you."

Hiccup looked up. "What kind of questions?"

"Astrid told me that you were there when my brother died by the hands of Jellal," she said.

Hiccup sighed. "She told me that you were Olaf's little sister. In truth he did die at the hands of Jellal, but he wasn't his target. Jellal was going to try and destroy me, but Astrid shielded me with her body in the hopes to stop him. Jellal didn't and unleashed his attack upon, but Olaf then appeared nowhere and shielded her with his own body."

"So what she said was true," said Camicazi shaking her head. "Olaf died because of her."

"Truth was Jellal wasn't really himself," said Hiccup rubbing the back of his head. "He had been tortured and manipulated by a spirit claiming to be Drago, who we later discovered to be Ultear, that turned him into the monster that Neria witnessed. However, when I fought him I somehow managed to free him from Ultear's manipulations reverting him back to the Jellal that Astrid and Neira knew when they were kids."

"I see," said Camicazi slowly.

"I see you were able to come after all," said Astrid as she approached the two of them. "And you wouldn't be at by any chance stealing my boyfriend are you?"

Camicazi cheeks immediately turned red. "No, of course not."

Hiccup chuckled. "She's only messing with you." He then looked at Astrid slowly. "You are only messing with, right?"

Astrid merely smirked and turned her attention back onto Camicazi. "I take it that you're recover from your injuries."

"Yes, and the same can be said for you," Camicazi noted.

Astrid nodded and then extended her hand. "I just hope that we can let go of our past and be friends."

"No," said Camicazi which took both Hiccup and Astrid aback. "Because I'd rather be your sister."

Astrid blinked. "Do you mean it?"

Camicazi nodded.

Then Astrid pulled her into a hug much to her astonishment. "Hey, will you please let go of me it's embarrassing!"

Hiccup and her teammates laughed.

"Come on, I think you need a hug," Kelail chuckled.

Neria was in the corner still standing in silence and then Astrid approached her.

"Oh, Neria, I really wish you'd cheer up a bit," she said. "Luckily I've got just the thing."

Then from out of nowhere she pulled out Toothless and the other Exceeds and immediately Neria face lit up.

"So many precious kitties!" she cried and immediately hugged them.

"Where not your stuffed animals!" Skullcrusher wheezed.

"Yeah, you're suffocating us," said Toothless as he tried to breathe.

"Release us!" Cloudjumper demanded.

"Please let go!" Stormfly snapped.

Neria released them and began to pinch their cheeks. "Look at those chubby wubby little cheekys."

"Well, that's certainly cheered," Hiccup chuckled.

"Cats always had that effect on Neria," Astrid nodded.

* * *

Sting, who was wearing a pure white suit, then approached Hiccup holding a glass of wine in each hand.

"Finally, I've been looking for you all night," said Sting.

Hiccup blinked. "Sting?"

"I believe I owe you a drink," said Sting presenting him with a glass of wine.

"It's top of the shelf staff," said Hookfang, who was also wearing a white suit.

Hiccup smiled and took the glass. "So, I hear you're going to be the new Guild Master of _Sabretooth_."

Sting smiled. "Sure am." He then looked at Hiccup seriously. "But this time I'm not going to forget everything you taught me when I was a kid. After facing those dragons, and not defeating a single one of them, I realise how tough your Guild had when you faced against Acnologia."

"Believe me, it wasn't a happy memory," said Hiccup. He then looked at Sting. "Just remember that the Guild always protects its own and treat its members like family. That after all is what need _Dragon Tail_ what it is today."

Sting nodded. "I promise I won't forget."

"You will make a fine Guild Master."

Sting smiled at him. "Thank you, Master."

* * *

Meanwhile Rouge, who was wearing a shadow black dress, approached Eret as he was eating from the table.

"Eret," she said.

Eret looked at her. "You need to be careful, the Rogue from the future was a real piece of work."

Rogue rubbed the back of her head. "Yes, I know and that would put it extremely likely. I'm not her and I will never become that woman, I swear it."

Skull was wearing an olive-green suit and smiled up at Rogue. "I know you," he said.

Orga, who was wearing a brown suit smiled at both Sting and Rogue as they talk to their idols.

"I've never seen them act like this," he said looking at Ilos, who was wearing a crimson red suit.

"If he had I would have certainly remembered it," Ilos noted.

"A toast," said Sting as he and Hiccup touch glasses. "To the Dragons and Tigers."

Ruby, Vala and Adelaide then approached them. Vala immediately start when her eyes upon both Sting and Rogue, who immediately turned instead of her open eyed. They weren't the only ones as Orga and Ilos did the same.

Skull just stared. "Vala?"

Vala began shaking uncontrollably. "Sorry, I don't think I can do this right now."

She then turned around and was about to walk away when Sting stepped forward.

"Wait!" he cried and she stopped in her tracks. "Please, stick around for a little while at least. The Master and Milady are gone for good, they won't be here." He then looked down at his feet. "Look and sorry for the way we treated you, but was starting everything over from scratch." Vala turned and stared at him. "The way we were… was wrong. But the old Sabretooth Guild is history now… from here on out we will be the kind of deal that will treat our members like family."

Vala looked away from him. "Well, I wish you the best of luck with all that."

Sting had expected the cold shoulder from Vala. "I know the wounds are still fresh, but I would love it if you were part of it again."

"Are you kidding me, don't be such an idiot!" a voice yelled. They turned and saw Camicazi approaching her with the rest of her team.

"Camicazi?" Vala blinked.

"Did everyone just forget that her life is in my hands?" Camicazi yelled at everyone present. "Since I'm the one making the here I see that she's got to join _Valkyrie's Sword_!"

"Say what?" everyone in Sabretooth cried.

Vala just stared open eyed.

Sting then marched on Camicazi with fury in his eyes. "That is not going to happen!"

Camicazi narrowed her eyes at him. "Too late, she belongs to us and there's nothing you can do that can stop it."

The two of them glared at one another and they looked so heated that everyone feared a fight was about to start.

"Stop right there," said Hiccup's voice.

Immediately the two of them turn to see the members of Dragon Tail standing strong.

"We won't stand idly by while you decide her fate," said Hiccup folding his arms.

"Especially since our Guild is better," said Astrid.

"That's right, if she chooses any Guild it better be ours," said Ruby.

"Yeah," Ragnar nodded.

"It would be the first time that a member from another Guild join with us," said Heather.

Vala was now feeling slightly nervous. "I never thought about joining Dragon Tail?"

Then approaching them were _Blue Pegasus_.

"No way," said Cavin. "A woman as beautiful as you are…"

"Deserves nothing less then a beautiful Guild," Arvin finished.

"So join us," said Feralan.

"You have such an intoxicating parfum," Olatrand added.

"We'd love to have you," said Ase.

Then Lyon, Tron and Veger stepped forward.

"If she wants the best deal with their no question she should become part of _Thor's Hammer_ ," said Lyon.

Jura just rolled his eyes. "Let's not get involved in this."

"Get into our Guild now!" Tron ordered loudly.

"Don't be rude," said Veger.

Thuggory smiled as he folded his arms. "Personally I think that _Blazing Fenrir_ needs a woman's touch."

"I agree with you more, bro," said Bacchus. "I know we lost the Grand Magic Games, but there's no way we're going to lose this battle."

Vala was now completely overwhelmed by this. "Hey, hold on. Don't do this."

The guild masters of the selected guilds were now smiling broadly.

"Time for another _Dragon Tail_ win," Stoick smiled.

"I'd like to show everybody here what _Blazing Fenrir_ is truly made of," said Mogadon.

"I'll spin you," Ursula warned.

"I wouldn't mind another pretty face in our Guild," said Humungously.

"We could do with a Valkyrie," said Bertha.

"Now the Masters are getting involved," said Merrill nervously. "This is crazy."

"That's love for ya," Shanyla shrugged.

A few seconds later a massive food fight began to rage on.

"Come on!" Ragnar yelled as he tossed the chicken across the room.

"Come get some!" Snotlout roared as he tossed the table across the room.

"Just give up!" Ilos yelled as he tossed a cake which landed straight in Snotlout's face.

Eret then hit him on the head with a bottle of wine. "Not on your life!"

"I'm going to spin you all!" Ursula cried.

"Don't you dare old hag!" Stoick growled.

The palace servants were now ducking for cover as the battle between the Guild raged on.

"Whoa, they're out of control!"

As the food fight raged on, Vala just fell to her knees and began to cry. Adelaide, who was one of the few Vikings who weren't fighting, approached her.

"Aw, there's nothing to cry about," she said with a smile.

"I know," said Vala getting to her feet with tears still trickling down her cheek. "But all of you make me so happy."

Adelaide merely smiled. "It's wonderful seen you smile."

Vala smiled back as she cried with tears of joy. Adelaide then placed a hand on her shoulder. "Whatever you choose there's definitely a place for you."

Vala nodded gratefully. "Thank you."

The fight would have escalated if Throk can chose that moment to emerge onto the balcony.

"Everybody stop this instant!" he called slamming the butt of his axe onto the floor. Almost immediately everybody stop fighting and looked up towards him. "In honour of your performance during the Games and for your bravery facing the greatest danger this kingdom has ever known, his Majesty would like to personally deliver this message to you. Pay heed!"

The doors parted and soon emerging from the shadows was King Macario. He certainly looked majestic in his robes and on his head he wore his golden crown and by his side he held a sword.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said as he started to walk down the steps onto the floor, "it is thanks to all of you here present within these halls that we are here to celebrate today. However, one of you standing here went and beyond his duty to secure the safety of our kingdom. I am of course talking to one that not only led the battle against the dragons, but also ventured through time to save us." His eyes and laid upon Hiccup. "Hiccup Haddock, stepped forward."

Immediately everybody parted as Hiccup stood there completely motionless. It was only until Astrid gave him a gentle nudge forward that he approached King Macario.

King Macario looked at him. "You have proven that you're not only a Viking of great skill, but you are also a capable leader and have unbridled coverage. I think that it is appropriate that you are awarded for these qualities."

"I'm honoured your Majesty, but it was not I ventured through time," said Hiccup respectfully.

"True, but would you deny that you would not do the same as your fault in itself?" King Macario asked.

Hiccup merely shook his head. "I will do whatever it took to defend my friends and family."

King Macario nodded. "It is for that reason that I award you. Now knee."

Hiccup went down on one knee as King Macario drew his sword. "In recognition of your service to the kingdom," he began as he tapped Hiccup's right shoulder, "and the leadership and courage you have shown during our darkest days." He then tapped Hiccup's left shoulder. "Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, I hereby proclaim you a Paladin within my very own honour guard." He then lifted his sword and looked down at Hiccup. "Arise, Sir Hiccup."

Cheers erupted across the entire ballroom as Hiccup rose to his feet.

"That's my boy!" Stoick cried proudly.

Hiccup just never been the back of his head awkwardly, not knowing what to say.

Eventually able to calm down and soon everybody was dancing with one another to the music that was being played by the orchestra. Lyon was dancing with Neria, Arvin and Carvin were dancing with Babs and Kelail while Feralan was dancing with his fiancée, Ashelin. Ruby was also dancing with Fishlegs trying to avoid getting her feet stepped upon.

Hiccup meanwhile was dancing with Astrid and despite his metal leg he was dancing quite this. Stoick was doing the same with Valka and most surprisingly Snotlout was dancing with Rubbella which earned the two of them some stares. Ragnar had finally the courage to ask ever to dance with him and soon the two frosted Vikings were dancing to the music. Toothless and Stormfly were also dancing with one another and most strangely so were Olatrand and Solatrand.

Eventually they all stopped dancing when they saw Mala approaching her father with a very solemn look about her face. It was clear she was still feeling very guilty with the events of the _Eclipse Gate_.

"Father," she said barely able to look at him.

"Mala," said King Macario not showing any emotion to his daughter.

"I beg your forgiveness," said Mala and bowed to her father for forgiveness. "My actions nearly brought destruction to the kingdom. Once the festivities are over, I will accept whatever punishment you see fit."

Ruby just stared at her. "The Princess?"

"Please wait," said Throk as he approached them.

Mala blinked. "Throk?"

"With all due respect I must intercede on the Princess' that have," he said looking at King Macario. "The _Eclipse_ began as a means to defeat Drago, the debacle of the _Eclipse Two_ was the result of that time traveller's deception. Due to his other accurate predictions, she was led to believe that it was the only way to save Septem from total annihilation."

"That's true," Darton nodded as he approached them. "Her intentions were pure, or for the sake of the kingdom."

"Darton?" Mala stared.

"It was more than that," Ruby added. "The Princess did whatever she could to protect the future of the entire world."

Astrid nodded. "Yes, she has done nothing wrong."

Jura and Olatrand then stepped forward.

"She had the best of intentions in mind," said Jura.

"I implore you to "transgressions," Olatrand added.

"Punish her or not it won't change what happened," said Hiccup as he stood there with his arms folded. "Besides, it was her that caused every Viking in Septem to work together."

Toothless nodded in agreement. "He's right."

Alvin nodded. "Yeah, that's a good point."

"If not for the Princess's actions, Septem may have remained a kingdom divided," said Jura.

Mala just all of them openmouthed. "Thank you."

"You made no mistake, you were tricked as much as everyone here," said Heather.

Ragnar nodded in agreement. "Anyone of us would have been fooled by such a charade.

"It's true," said Sting. "We have gained so much from this."

Rogue nodded. "Yes, notably a new sense of purpose."

"There was a long time coming," said Skull.

"Things are awesome," Hookfang smiled. "I mean even the knuckleheads in _Sabretooth_ are starting to get along."

Camicazi then stepped forward. "We certainly wouldn't have made as many friends in our lifetimes than the one made today."

"She's right there," Kelail nodded.

"That's right," said Babs and Ajhessa together.

"Silence!" Throk roared as he slammed the butt of his axe on the ground. "You on the presence of his Majesty."

Immediately everyone went silent as they turn towards King Macario, who had remain completely quiet during this conversation. They all waited in silence for his response and the atmosphere in the hall was becoming unbearable.

"I have considered all of your arguments," said King Macario closing his eyes. "However, she is accountable."

Throk then stepped forward. "Your Majesty, I will accept all of the blame."

"Majesty, I am the one who should be punished for this," said Darton stepping forward.

Ruby then step forward. "You should go ahead and punish all of us too."

Astrid nodded in agreement.

King Macario remained quiet and looked at all them. 'Throk's loyalty to Mala and Darton's loyalty to the kingdom, these both pleased me greatly." He then looked at all them. "But what pleases me most of all… are the Vikings assembled here that worked tirelessly for peace."

Mala looked at her father. "Father?"

"In light of all this, I cannot find a good faith punish any of you," he said with a small smile. He then looked at Mala. "However, I do believe dose of humility would do the world of good. As such I believe that a suitable punishment would be used to venture through the kingdom and see how the citizens of the kingdom live. Throk, and entrusting you to keep her safe for the entire year."

Throk nodded. "As you wish your Majesty."

Mala nodded. "I will do what you ask."

Ruby then looked at Mala. "It could have been much worse at least you get to see the kingdom that you will rule one day."

Mala nodded. "I suppose you're right, it's not the worst punishment in the world."

Hiccup the First looked at Stoick. "They've grown so strong," he said and immediately Stoick looked at him. "The weight of the world will be safe on their shoulders."

Stoick nodded. "Yes."

For the rest of the night everyone began to dance, eat and celebrate until the dawn.


	75. Droplets of Time

The next morning the people of Crocus return to their normal everyday lives, unaware that two days ago the kingdom almost fell to ruin.

Inside an inn was an old lady, who had just woken up from her bed. She had to be about 80 years old, but she had a large smile on her face as if she was going to live forever.

* * *

Once she got dressed she made her way to the nearest cafe and started a breakfast. A waitress then approached her with a coffee pot.

"Would you like a little warmup on your coffee, ma'am?" she asked.

The old lady merely smiled. "As a matter of fact, I'd love one please."

"Were you able to sleep through all that craziness last night?" the waitress asked as she began to pour coffee into her cup.

"Ah, yes," she said. "I slept soundly as a newborn baby."

"So did you watch the Grand Magic Games this year?"

"Of course, dearly." The old lady then looked towards the Coliseum. "I wouldn't have missed it."

The waitress smiled. "I think this one was the best one yet. I just wish that _Valkyrie's Sword_ would have one though. They're my favourite."

"Is that so? Well, perhaps next year."

The waitress then looked at the old lady. "Who were you rooting for?"

The old lady had to think on that. "Oh, I don't know. No one in particular… but if I had to choose, I suppose I have to say _Dragon Tail_."

The waitress immediately smiled. "Yeah, I absolutely love them. Especially that hunk Ragnar Keatson, he's just the coolest guy."

The old lady sighed. "Yes, he is quite handsome."

* * *

Later that day the old lady began to make her way through the city streets. She had to use a walking stick in order to get around, but otherwise he was fine. That was until a stick struck a loose stone and she tripped.

She would have fallen if someone had caught her in time. "Whoa, that was too close."

The old lady breathed heavily. "My word, I must have tripped, thank you, sir."

She turned towards the man who caught her and saw that it was a man in a suit wearing a homburg.

"Of course, these street around here have certainly seen better days. You really have to watch your step," he said as he raised his homburg.

The old lady immediately recognised him as Agnar, the announcer from the Games. "I know you, you're the announcer for the Grand Magic Games, right?"

Agnar nodded. "Yep, on my way to my next gig in fact."

"All that travelling around, it must be rough on you," said the old lady.

Agnar shrugged. "I get to see the world, meet new people."

The old lady smiled. "Well, that does sound nice."

Agnar looked at her. "Where are you headed? I could walk you there if you like."

"Thank you, but I'm out for a stroll resolve you needn't worry about that won't be," she said.

With that Agnar began to walk away waving her goodbye. "Goodbye!" he called.

* * *

Meanwhile Hiccup and his team were getting dressed and ready to set off back to Berk.

"You guys about ready to go?" Ragnar asked.

"As much fun as Crocus was, I can't wait to get back home," said Toothless.

"Same here, bud," said Hiccup as he did some stretches.

"I wish we could stay here longer," said Ruby as she painted her toenails.

Astrid was finishing packing her clothes. "Yes, in a strange way it's starting to feel like home."

"I guess Master and the rest of the Guild left earlier, huh?" said Ruby.

"He did," Hiccup nodded. "He said he was ready to get back to Berk, but I think that some of them are still celebrating."

"That wouldn't surprise me all that much," Ruby sighed.

"I'm betting that Agatha is still drinking," said Toothless folding his paws.

"Oh yes," Astrid chuckled. "Last time I saw she had challenged both the royal guard, the _Wolf Hunters_ and _Blazing Fenrir_ to a drinking contest."

"I hope those guys know what they getting into," Ragnar laughed.

"I doubt it," said Ruby chuckling.

Then suddenly they heard the sounds of horses followed by the sound of Merrill's voice. "Hey, guys. Come look!"

* * *

They immediately went outside and to their astonishment they saw a horse and carriage belonging to the Palace right in front of inn they were staying at.

"We get to travel back to Berk in style," said Merrill with a large smile on her face.

"And in supreme comfort I might add," Stormfly added.

"It's certainly a lovely carriage," said Astrid she stroked the horses.

"Yeah, the _Wolf Hunters_ actually got for us," Merrill nodded.

"Since it was the men with no faction sense perhaps it was the ladies," Stormfly shrugged.

"Or one lady in particular," said Hiccup with a small chuckle as he looked at Merrill. "If memory serves I believe that Cosmo was quite fond of you."

Merrill groaned. "Don't remind me."

"Well, I think it's time for us to go before we lose daylight, it's a long ride back to Berk," said Astrid as she boarded the carriage.

* * *

A few moments later they were in the carriage heading back to Berk. Ruby was looking out of the window as Crocus disappeared from view.

"Goodbye, Crocus," she said. "What a crazy time."

"Let's hope the next time we visit the capital, it's not as hectic," said Toothless.

Hiccup laughed. "Since when do we not do anything that's hectic?"

"He's got a point," said Ragnar. "We seem to end one adventure and finally ourselves in another."

"At least our lives aren't dull," Astrid shrugged.

* * *

Meanwhile in the ruined parts of the capital, Jellal and Orara wondering through the ruins searching for Ultear, with very little success.

"I'm worried, where could she be?" said Orara worriedly.

"I wish I knew," Jellal sighed.

"I hope she's not hurt somewhere."

"Her _Time Magic_ does take quite a toll on her body," Jellal reminded.

Orara was now even more worry than she was a few seconds ago.

"The _Eclipse_ was destroyed," said Jellal wanting to change the subject. "At least the future may be salvageable." They then came to a stop. "The dragons return to the past as from the Rogue and Hiccup that came from the future I cannot say. Just look around and you can see the present has been greatly affected. All this carnage in devastation, I had hoped destroying the _Gate_ would revert it all back some."

"Time had been turned on its head, it had become impossible to return things as they were," said Orara.

"I am grateful that I seem to have my memory intact, but that could pose a problem," said Jellal as they stood in front of the ruined _Eclipse Gate_.

Orara frowned. "Why?"

"Because the Council most certainly aware of the Royal family meddling in _Black Magic_. This is what walls are built on."

Then suddenly they heard footsteps behind them and turned to find Alron approaching them completely alone.

"What does he want?" Jellal frowned.

* * *

Meanwhile in Era, Alistair had already returned to the Viking Council headquarters.

"I see," said Alistair looking at several employees. "Then crosscheck those reports with regional data and analyse the results. Look for any sudden spikes in the levels of recorded magic power in the city."

"Understood," said one of the employees.

"Alistair," said a voice behind him.

Alistair turned and found Palan approaching him.

"Master Palan?" said Alistair.

"You have done the Council a great service by monitoring the games," said Palan.

"Honestly sir I was honoured to be part of the festivities," said Alistair honestly.

Palan laughed as they walked down the corridor. "I heard the King's fondness for Vikings was put on prominent display."

"That's putting it lightly," said Alistair.

Palan looked at him with an injury look. "They say that he ended the final nights events by putting on a display massive illusions of dragons."

"Alron got to see all of it happen. I had unfortunately already fallen asleep by that time," he said looking embarrassed.

"If only some of these bull-headed Council members could have seen them as well," said Palan sadly.

"It may only make their opposition to the Games stronger," Alistair pointed out.

Palan gave him a sly smile. "I would have liked to seen their faces." He then chuckled as they disappeared down the corridor.

* * *

Alron took both Jellal and Orara to the outskirts of the city and explained that he erased the memories Council members much to their surprise.

"So you trace the Council members memories?" Jellal stared.

"I did," Alron nodded. "As far as they're concerned, it never happened."

Jellal looked at him with an intriguing look. "I'm surprised, I did know you have skill."

Alron merely smiled. "That's how I conduct all my deep cover operations. It's just a tool of the trade."

"But still what compelled you to go to such extremes?" Jellal frowned.

"The Eclipse is a spell directly from the pages of the Book of Drago. If the public were ever to find out it could very well start an uprising."

A few moments ago, Alron paid a visit to the Royal family and Throk and had a few choice words with them.

"Do not mention this to anyone talk is the throne goodbye!" Alron threatened.

Orara stared at him. "You said that to the King?"

Alron shrugged. "Sometimes speaking truth to power is necessary, they came to the brink of losing the citizens trust and then the kingdom."

"Oh wow," Orara breathed.

"I have absolutely no interest in a revolution," said Alron folding his arms. "And though I don't go against certain values I'm sworn to uphold, looking away was the only real option I had to avoid one."

Jellal raised an eyebrow. "You are able to convince Alistair of the same?"

Alron laughed. "That guy, saying he forgot it all to. He's one of the Council's rising stars, he doesn't belong down in the mud."

"For someone who works for the Council you like to do things your own way," Jellal noted.

Alron looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "Before your stint in prison, weren't you a full-fledged member."

Jellal merely smiled and Alron smiled back. That's when he noticed they were one member short notice the sad look upon Orara's face.

"Your wife… you haven't found yet?" Alron asked.

Jellal shook his head. "I can't imagine she would just leave without saying anything."

Alron then turned his back on them. "Well, best of luck to you with that." He then started to walk away. "I seriously must be losing my edge of starting to worry about the loss of you."

"Hold on," said Jellal.

"Sorry, but I'm done. We never met okay, but you are in my debt. Don't forget about that."

"You have my gratitude."

"Just stay out of trouble and don't test me."

There was still one thing troubling Jellal. "Cobra? What became of him?"

Alron came to an immediate stop. "He walked straight back to prison."

"What?" Jellal stared.

"Almost immediately after the dragons vanished."

* * *

Soon after when the dragons had vanished, Alistair and Alron apprehended at Cobra, who didn't offer the slightest bit of resistance.

"These bracelets are nice but you don't have to do make me wear than you know," said Cobra holding out the anti-magic cuffs they fitted him with.

"I appreciate the sentiment, but we must follow protocol," said Alistair.

Cobra shrugged. "Yeah, right. Got a lock of the _Dragon Slayer_ that can't actually live up to his name. I've got no life left in these hands."

Alistair narrowed his eyes. "Now I see that is why you decided to return."

"Your pride took a hit so now you came slipping back to us, eh?" said Alron folding his arms.

"Fresh airs nice and so is taking on all of those sweet voices," said Cobra closing his eyes as if he was dreaming. "Cubellios, I heard her out there too."

Alron narrowed his eyes. "Voices?"

"But I had my fill so it's back to the old peace and quiet," said Cobra as he turned around and made his way towards the prison carriage. He then smiled evilly. ' _So I can work on busting out of the_ Seis _._ '

Alron immediately approached him. "Tell me! What did you hear?"

Cobra looked at him. "You want to know? The gate to the underworld is going to open. Something like that, still trying to remember it also stay out of my head."

Alron just stared at him with his mouth wide open.

* * *

Back in the present, Alron had just finished his tale to Jellal and Orara.

"That's it… those are the last words he spoke to me," said Alron. He then turned his head to look at them. "I don't quite understand what he meant by that, but it doesn't sound good." He then continue to walk away. "Be safe."

He then vanished right in front of them.

Jellal and Orara understood the meaning perfectly well and knew what was coming.

"I understand," said Orara looking at Jellal.

"It's _Helheim_ ," said Jellal fearfully.

* * *

Meanwhile Hiccup and the others had stopped to take a break as it was a long journey still to Berk.

"Ah, it's nice to catch some sunlight," Hiccup sighed as he lay down on a rock.

"Yeah, this is the life," Ragnar sighed leaning against the same rock.

"So how much longer is it to Berk?" Toothless asked.

Ruby, Merrill and Stormfly were busy making flower chains in the meadow.

"We'll be back before you know it," said Ruby.

"Can't we just stay here little longer?" said Merrill.

"Afraid not, the others would be worried what happened to us," said Hiccup.

"Stoick said that he had something to sort out the mayor," Toothless frowned looking at Hiccup. "You have any idea what it's about?"

"No clue," Hiccup shrugged. "The mayor wants to talk to my Dad means that something big is going to happen."

"Personally I would like to relax, especially what happened over the past week," said Merrill.

"I found the entire ordeal very inspiring," said Ruby. "The people, the experiences so I think I'll be spending the next few months writing."

"What kind of stories are going to be?" Merrill asked eagerly.

"Let's just say a secret one," Ruby smiled.

Stormfly then approached Astrid, who was busy sketching in her notebook. "My, you've been working on that trawling for quite some time now."

"Yes, I'm designing some new custom armour for myself," said Astrid as she continued to sketch.

Stormfly frowned. "I cannot possibly see what you need any more armour than you already have."

"Hmm, while the armour I'm designing will bring the ultimate strength into battle with the elegance of a ballgown," Astrid huffed. She then looked at the sketch. "Sadly, I not really the best drawer."

To prove the point she held out her sketchbook and the dress she sketch was very hard to interpret. To Stormfly it would the combination of a dragon and a blazing sun.

"Yeah, I see what you mean," she said slowly.

Hiccup leaned his head towards her. "I could probably do the sketching if you told me exactly how you want it to look," he offer.

Astrid looked at him. "I appreciate the offer, babe, but you're already going to be making it."

"Which will be easier if I knew what it looked like," he added.

Astrid nodded. "Good point."

Then the two of them then kissed.

Hiccup then noticed that Ragnar was walking away in a slight day, he's been like that since the entire journey.

He frowned and looked at the others. "I don't suppose you guys know what's wrong with Ragnar?"

Toothless shrugged. "Don't know, he's been like that since the dragon attack."

Ragnar was still remembering the Battle of Crocus and especially the flashback he had of him dying. He raised his hand on the wound where the first dragon attacked as if he could still feel it piercing his heart.

He then heard footsteps and saw Merrill approaching him with a concerned look. "Is there something bothering you?" she asked.

"Huh?" Ragnar frowned.

"Your quiet," she pointed out. "You haven't said much all day and we're growing concerned."

"It's nothing," he lied.

Merrill however didn't buy it. "You need more time to recover?"

"Na," he said shaking his head and looking at his hand. "I'm fine, it's nothing like that really." He saw that Merrill hadn't moved and decided to talk. "Right at the end of the battle with the dragons I suddenly got this eerie feeling."

"Like you are seeing into the future?" Merrill assumed. "Like a dream that you were awake through the entire time?

"Yeah," Ragnar nodded. He then clutched his chest. "But it feels too real to be a dream. I remember myself getting shot and then dying. And I can almost swear that it actually happened to me. I don't, I guess it sounds crazy, but it's not the first time in my life that I felt this way."

Merrill looked up.

"I was about your age when the single biggest event in my life went down and nothing was ever the same again."

Ragnar immediately remembered he was younger when Deliora destroyed his home town.

"Her Demon from the Book of Drago attacked my village, its name was Deliora. My mother was killed, I barely survived, but Ur saved me. She took me in, she trained me everything that I know about _Ice Magic_ I learned from her."

He then remembered when he foolishly challenged Deliora. He would have been killed if Ur hadn't intervened, but it had cost her her life.

"Later she saved my life again by sacrificing her own," he said looking down at his hand. "And the way I feel now is exactly how I felt when that happened. I saw myself dying in that battle, it was so real, but the strangest thing about it was that it filled me with this warm sensation. It was comforting."

Merrill frowned. "What you think it means?"

Ragnar shrugged. "No idea, I told you it was really weird, right?"

"It's okay."

"Lyon from _Thor's Hammer_ , he was one of Ur's students to and Ultear from _Crime Sorcière_ that's her daughter. I wonder how she's doing? I bet she made it through the fight with the dragons, she was probably somewhere fighting along with us."

* * *

Jellal and Orara, unable to find Ultear, then started to walk through the open fields knowing that they could stay in one place for too long. Their thought were still with _Helheim_ wondering what that would mean for the future.

"An evil guild shows it's face," said Jellal. "Helheim is another member of the _Balam Alliance_ alongside _Grimoire Heart_ and _Oración Seis_. I don't know what Cobra may have learned, but I assume that is going to try and use his information to offer a pardon."

Orara frowned. "What are they up to?"

"If they're as sinister and vile as the rumours say, this doesn't bode well."

They continued walking until they passed a farm and then they saw an old lady waiting for them on the road.

"Well, hello," she said.

Immediately the two of them stopped and turned around.

"Not good, we can't be seen," said Jellal.

"Right?" Orara nodded.

They began to run, but the old lady called out to them. "Excuse me, your names wouldn't happen to be Jellal and Orara would they?"

Immediately they stopped and looked at the old woman and then she pulled out a letter from her back.

"A woman gave me a letter for you," she said. "She said that I might run into on this road."

Jellal blinked. "A letter?"

Orara immediately smiled. "It's from her."

She immediately took the letter from the woman and opened it and recognise the handwriting. "Oh my gosh, maybe she is waiting for us."

She then began to read the let out loud:

 _My dear Jellal and sweet Orara_

 _Please forgive me, in the battle for the future I use the spell that forfeit my own future. If I could do it over again I would and I am thankful that I have this opportunity. This chance to bid you farewell before my final breath escapes me._

Orara eyes widened as she read, but despite the pain in her heart she continued to read.

 _My path ends here, I wasn't able to achieve the ultimate goal of_ Crime Sorcière _. So, I ask that you continue on, keep this spirit that brought us together alive. Don't forget your sins, learn from them, don't let them destroy you, never give up hope that a day will finally come when you be forgiven. And most importantly, regard every single person you meet with love and compassion in your hearts._

Jellal was solemn as if he had expected, but tears were now trickling down Orara's face knowing that she would never meet her mother again.

 _You have many battles still ahead of you, if Drago is not defeated he will rule the world with iron fist and bring ruin to many. So, please, you have to keep going, you have to live for me. I pray that this long tumultuous journey you've been on will finally bring happiness to everyone._

 _With love,_

 _Ultear_

Orara's tears began to land on the letter. "She's gone," she cried.

"Excuse me," said Jellal turning to the old lady. "But when did you get this letter?"

When he turned around he found that the old lady had vanished without a trace.

* * *

Not far down from the road was the carriage carrying Hiccup and the others.

"We should be back at Berk by tomorrow," said Hiccup.

"I can't wait to get back home," said Merrill excitedly.

"Well, you have to, Child," said Stormfly.

"I suggest that we just sit back and relax," said Ragnar.

Toothless leaned over Hiccup's head as he began sketching Astrid's new armour.

"That looks really good," he said.

Astrid then looked at the sketch. "Hiccup, it's beautiful."

Hiccup just smiled awkwardly. "It's not quite finished yet guess."

Stormfly looked at the others. "Strangers it is I'm missing that old rickety old pub."

Ruby nodded. "Guess I kinda am too." She then frowned and looked. "But you got to wonder where Jellal and his group are going after all of this."

Astrid frowned. "I don't know."

They then immediately drew pass an old woman and she could hear the voices of Hiccup and the others inside as it went past. She then smiled and looked up towards the sky.

' _I have always cursed my lot in life, felt cheated by the hand of fate had dealt me. The rage that burnt inside was eating away my spirit, it seemed huge and insatiable. But once I opened my eyes and looked at the limitless skies above I had a revelation. I saw how small I was in comparison, the world around me was infinite full of more wonders than I could ever imagine.'_

Ragnar then looked out of the window of the carriage and saw the old woman standing there and he immediately sensed something familiar about her.

' _And through the clouds golden rays of sunlight signed a down upon me, like a gentle shower washing away the darkness. It warmed my soul, I never felt more at peace. It was the first time I had experienced true joy, at last I was thankful for the gift of life I had been given_.'

When the old lady looked back at Ragnar through the curtains of the carriage, he immediately realised who she was in his eyes widened.

"Hey stop!" Ragnar cried. "We've got to stop the carriage!"

The others immediately looked at him with confused looks.

"Is there something wrong, Ragnar?" Hiccup asked.

"Yeah, what's the matter?" Ruby asked.

Ragnar looked back at the old woman, who immediately shook her head.

' _At the end of my journey, I had found what alluded me all along. I was happy._ '

Ragnar then looked back at the others. "No, I'm okay."

' _I was able to forgive myself, I could finally let go._ '

Ragnar knew that the old woman was none other than Ultear and soon he realised what she had done. She somehow managed to turn back the clock at the battle at the cost of her own life force, in the results she saved himself and everyone else, but doomed herself. ' _Her life for mine?_ ' said Ragnar.

* * *

Further down the path, Jellal was comforting Orara, who was crying heavily in his shoulder. The two of them had realised who the old lady was as well.

"She gave away all she had, time," said Jellal.

* * *

Ragnar too was crying as she had sacrificed herself just as her mother sacrificed herself to save him which made the pain in his heart grow even more.

' _Why did they both have to die for me? Why?_ ' Ragnar cried.


	76. A Gift

When Hiccup and the others return to Berk they were granted a hero's welcome by everyone in the town.

"I see them! _Dragon Tail_ was coming home!" a man cried.

"Over here. Hurry, check them all out!" a woman cried.

"You guys long enough!"

"We're also proud of you! Welcome back!"

Even _Twilight Ogre_ was cheering for them.

"All right then, people of Berk let's give a round of applause to _Dragon Tail_! Winning Guild of the Grand Magic Games!" Agnar the Aggressive. "You left, you saw, you conquer!"

Cheers erupted from the crowd and everyone began to crack as they walked down the main street.

"Talk about the change of moods," said Hiccup looking at the others.

"No kidding," said Toothless.

"There's so many people here," Ruby gasped.

"I certainly wasn't expecting this grand entrance, is overwhelming," said Astrid.

"We should expect anything less," Stoick laughed. "We are at the wall the number one Guild in Septem."

"Yes, clearly not the most humble," Valka giggled.

"We certainly can't force call," Cloudjumper noted.

"Hey, Adelaide! You're the only girlfriend I need!" a voice yelled from the crowd.

"Thank you!" Adelaide waved.

"You get the guys, but why don't I give the girls?" Snotlout grumbled.

Spitelout placed a hand on his shoulder. "They're probably already on the ground, boyo."

"You mean fainted at sight of me?" Snotlout smiled.

"No, they just bent down to vomit," said Astrid coldly.

"It's certainly quite a homecoming," said Skullcrusher.

"That's because we put _Dragon Tail_ back on top," said Eret proudly.

"I'd like to thank each and every one of you for cheering us on at the Games," Merrill smiled.

"You need to speak up if you want someone to hear you," Stormfly pointed out.

"All right, let's party!" Agatha cheered.

"Just try not to puke until after the parade," Alvin grumbled.

Ragnar was walking down incomplete silence, he just couldn't shake Ultear out of his mind. Realising that she had sacrificed her very life force to save him was quite a blow.

This did not go unnoticed by Heather, who was now growing very concerned for him. "What's the matter, Rag?"

"It's nothing," Ragnar lied.

Heather could tell that he was lying, but decided not to pry.

"Ruby!" A voice cried from the crowd. Ruby recognised the voice of her landlady. "You did great out there!"

"Oh, hey. Thank you so much," Ruby waved.

"I hope they gave you some prize-money, because your rent is due!" she yelled.

Everyone nearby laughed much to Ruby's embarrassment.

The crowd just stared in awe as they recognise their favourite _Dragon Tail_ members.

"It's Astrid! She defeated 100 monsters by herself!"

"She even took on Camicazi!"

"Yeah, and she defeated Minerva with a broken leg!"

Astrid was starting to get slightly uneasy. "All of this is embarrassing," she muttered.

Heather smiled at her. "I think you may have to get over that."

Hiccup chuckled. "Face it we become famous across the entire continent. If people didn't know us seven years ago they certainly know about us now." He then stopped and lowered his backpack. "Which reminds me, we got a little souvenir."

He then pulled out the massive trophy that had been presented to them by the King himself for winning the Grand Magic Games.

"Is the symbol of our victory!" he yelled.

The members of _Dragon Tail_ then cheered.

"I can hardly believe it," Ingrid cried.

"It sure wasn't easy, but we finally pulled through," said Helga Bailey to hold back her tears.

"And after coming in dead last year after year," Speedfist added his eyes filled with tears as well.

" _Dragon Tail_ is number one!" Wartihog yelled triumphantly.

"Hip-hip hurray!" Phlegma and Brila cheered.

"No one can forget _Dragon Tail_ this time!" Gustav yelled at the top of his voice.

Gothi was in the stand with a smile on her face. "I must admit as humans go, they are special."

Ragnar was still very quiet and Heather was still very concerned for him.

"Ragnar," she said and he turned towards her. "I don't know why you're sad, but maybe you should try at least to act happy for your friends."

Ragnar was silent for a moment, but then a smile appeared on his lips. "You're right," he nodded. ' _She didn't save my life so that I can mope around._ ' He then looked back at Heather. "I'm good now, thanks."

"Glad to hear," Heather smiled.

"Attention please, the Mayor of Berk would like to present _Dragon Tail_ with a gift to mark this momentous occasion," Agnar yelled.

The Mayor cleaned his throat and everyone went quiet.

"This must be what he wanted to talk about," said Stoick as he approached the Mayor. "I don't know we can accept this your grace."

"I'm afraid modesty won't get you out of this one," said the mayor. "Members of _Dragon Tail_ observe, your gift is to my right."

Everyone turned towards the rider immediately their eyes widened. They had good reason, because the kid was none other than the old Guildhall which now stood there in its former glory before it became run down.

"For years you had been the pride of our city, that is why we are honoured to present with a newly restored Guildhall!" the mayor announced.

Everyone just stared at it in awe.

"It's just like we left it," Hiccup stared.

Stoick turned towards the mayor. "Good mayor, your kindness knows no bounds. And I think I can safely say that every one of us love Berk with all our heart!"

That caused the crowd to cheer even louder, but unbeknownst to them a small creature was looking down at them. It was the same creature that had hitched a ride on Orba. In truth this creature was in fact Orba himself.

He then immediately jumped down from the buildings and scurried away through the empty streets.

* * *

The next day, Hiccup and his team were making their way back towards the newly refurbished Guildhall.

"Well, I guess it's time for us to get back to work," said Ruby.

Hiccup nodded. "We haven't been on a job since before the Games. Should be a breeze compared all the fights we had."

Astrid nodded in agreement. "It would be nice to do some actual work."

"Yeah, but you think there will be any jobs for us?" Merrill asked.

Ragnar laughed. "I'd be surprised if there weren't any jobs."

* * *

All the members of the Guild were already at the Guildhall and soon everything reverted back to normal before Cove Island.

"Yeah, any chance I get another steak from you please?" Speedfist asked holding out his blade.

Wartihog then did the same. "Same here please if you don't mind."

"Coming right up," Brila called. "You boys have worked up quite an appetite."

"Yeah, we just got back from a job so now was starving," said Speedfist.

"We're heading out for another one after this," said Wartihog.

"Everything so lively," said Ruby as the entered the Guildhall. "It feels like a whole new Guild in here doesn't it?" Ruby noted.

"It's nice to see that everything is back to normal," said Hiccup.

"Let's check the job request board," said Astrid.

The job request board was now full to the brim with requests.

"Whoa, there's so many," said Merrill in awe.

"Guess was got around," said Ragnar. "But what job should we do?"

"We better pick something before the good ones are gone," said Stormfly.

Toothless looked at the request board and then saw something that caught his eye. "How about this one?"

Hiccup looked at it. "An elven clan is under attack from an ogre. Apparently destroyed their caravans more than once and is hampering trade-off on the road as well."

"Sounds good to me," said Astrid.

Ruby got to the word ogre. "Did you say was an ogre?"

"Relax Ruby," said Ragnar calmly. "We just fought against an invasion of dragons, I think we can handle one ogre."

"Then let's go," said Hiccup.

* * *

They had to take a carriage towards the forest where the ogre was attacking the elven clan. When they entered the forest they saw an elven look out and immediately stopped the carriage.

"We're from _Dragon Tail_ ," said Hiccup approaching the lookout.

The lookout looked relieved. "What a relief. Come, I'll take you to our chief."

They started to track their way through the words that's when they saw several trees been uprooted, no doubt by the orge.

"The ogre did this?" Astrid asked.

The elven nodded. "Aye, he's been hounding us night and day and we lost some of our best hunters."

"You should have could have a request form the moment he saw an ogre," said Ragnar.

The elf narrowed his eyes. "We believe that we could handle this ourselves without humans."

"And yet here we are."

"What's done is done, we need to focus upon the here and now," said Hiccup. He then looked at the elf. "Is there anything more you can tell us about the ogre?"

"The chief will be able to answer that question."

* * *

They soon reached the elven caravan and that's when they noticed that some of their wagons had been smashed to bits. Also their hearers were busy tending to the wounds of several other elves.

"Merrill see what you can do to help," said Hiccup.

"You got it, Hiccup," she said running towards the healer's tent.

"Wiat up, child," said Stormfly following her quickly.

"What can she do?" the elf asked.

"She has _Healing Magic_ ," Hiccup answered.

Elf remained quiet and let them do their chief, who was actually female. She also looked particularly young to be chief.

"Greetings, _Dragon Tail_ ," she said respectfully. "I am Iserrill Snowywinter, chief of this clan. Please, sit."

Hiccup and the others bowed and soon they all sat in a circle.

Hiccup looked at Iserrill curiously. "Forgive me for saying this, but aren't you young to be chief of his tribe?"

Iserrill sighed. "I took over when my father killed by the ogre."

Hiccup closed his eyes. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"It's quite all right," said Iserrill calmly. "I take it that you wish to know about the ogre."

"When did this ogre show up?" Astrid asked.

"Very recently, with travelled in this area before and never had an ogre problem," Iserrill explained. "We were travelling down the road like we normally do when this ogre showed up and started to destroy our caravans. With little choice my father led the clan into the woods hoping that the thick trees would slow the beast down."

"I take it in work," Astrid assumed.

Iserrill nodded gravely. "The bees just merely knocked the trees down and tossed stones. Not only are we trapped, but the beast also scares of any prey that we can hunt."

"It's strange," Ragnar frowned. "Ogre's usually live in the mountains in the north. It is unusual to see one on the flat so far south."

Iserrill nodded. "We have no idea why the ogre is here, but we need it dealt with if we are to survive."

"Not to mention that trade will be hampered upon this road," Astrid added.

Iserrill nodded. "Everyone is affected by this ogre. The only other route other than this one that is safe to take is the one that goes through the toll bridge."

Hiccup looked up. "Toll bridge?"

Iserrill nodded. "It crosses over the lake not too far from here and is under the control of the local Lord. His name is Lord Neri and his taxes are excruciatingly painful."

Hiccup rubbed his chin.

Astrid could tell that he was thinking. "Do you think this Lord has something to do with the ogre?"

"Can't be a coincidence that the safest move in this area is now being attacked by an ogre and the only other safe routes in the area is that toll bridge," Hiccup pointed out.

"Yeah, but how could he train an ogre?" Ragnar frowned.

"He doesn't need to train it, he just needs to pointed in the right direction," said Hiccup simply.

"Well, before we do anything we need to find the ogre before it causes any more damage," said Toothless.

"We've seen it not too far from here roaming around," said Iserrill. "It should be too difficult to find, pleaded trailed destruction everywhere it goes."

"Merrill should stay here and help with the injured," said Hiccup. "I'm sure the rest of us should be able to handle the ogre."

Ruby looked troubled. "You sure?"

"We don't have much choice," said Hiccup.

* * *

With that said they started to make their way deeper into the forest. Iserrill had been right about finding it easy to track the beast, for they had to do was follow the uprooted trees.

"Have you guys ever seen an ogre?" Ruby asked nervously.

"No," they said.

"So do you guys know what to do when we see one?"

"No."

"Great," Ruby moaned.

Hiccup looked at her. "Ruby there's no need to panic, we faced worse than one ogre."

"Shh!" said Astrid placing her finger on her lips.

They all remain quiet then heard massive footsteps close by and the sound of toppling trees.

"I think we found our ogre," said Ragnar.

They looked over several uprooted trees and saw the ogre near some sort of cave. It was an ugly creature, with jagged teeth, a hairy chest, bald head and the only thing it was wearing was a loincloth that was completely muddy. It had to be a good 10 feet tall and has a dumb look about his face.

"Yep, definitely an ogre," Hiccup nodded. He then frowned. "Strange, it's not as big as I imagined."

Ruby stared at him. "It's gonna be a good 10 feet tall."

"Yeah, but ogres are generally 30 feet tall," said Hiccup.

Astrid looked at him. "You think it's a baby."

Hiccup nodded. "It would explain how Iserill was able to get their hands without much trouble. Ogres are generally left by their parents and fend for themselves, is why you don't see so many of them."

"That's horrible," said Ruby in disgust.

"For them it's survival of the fittest," Hiccup explained. "As a result many of them die young."

Astrid frowned. "If they have no community then how do they repopulate?"

Hiccup looked at her awkwardly. "Like I said survival of the fittest."

Astrid then looked disgusted. "You mean that they…"

"Rape," Ragnar finished.

"I think I'm going to be sick," said Ruby clutching her stomach.

"So what are we going to do?" Toothless asked. "If it's a baby that we can't just kill it."

"We could try moving it," Ruby suggested.

"The mountains are a good distance away," Hiccup pointed out. "How Iserill got here is a complete mystery."

Ruby's eyes then lit up. "Teleportation Spell you used in Edolas."

"I would need a piece of magic talk that," said Hiccup.

"I got some magic chalk in my inventory," said Astrid.

Then suddenly appearing her hand was a piece of chalk.

"That's good, but I need the thing to be kept still long enough for the spell to actually work," he said looking at the others.

"And that's where we come in," Ragnar assumed.

Hiccup nodded. "I'll be too busy drawing, if I may even one mistake it could be disastrous."

"Okay, Ruby and Toothless were lodged your back while me and Ragnar handle the creature," said Astrid.

"Sounds like a plan," said Ruby.

"Then let's do it," said Hiccup taking the chalk Astrid. "Give me five minutes to write the magic circle then lead the ogre towards it. I need to be still for at least 30 seconds for me to complete the incantation."

"Got it," said Astrid and Ragnar.

* * *

Astrid and Ragnar then started to take their positions on the far side of the clearing. The ogre appeared to be too busy playing with a few sticks which were actually large tree branches. This was a good thing as they saw Hiccup began to draw the magic circle.

They sat there waiting until they got the okay signal from Hiccup telling him that he had completed the magic circle.

"That our que," said Astrid.

"I'll go first," said Ragnar as he jumped out of the bushes. He then places hands together. " _Ice-Make: Lance!_ "

He immediately unleashed a barrage of ice spikes directly at the ogre, but it's fixed in protected it from most of the damage. Though now it began to roar and charged at Ragnar with a thick tree branch in its hand.

" _Requip!_ " Astrid yelled as she jumped out of the bushes and began to glow. She then immediately stood there in her Deadly Nadder Armour. "Deadly Nadder! Spine Shot!"

She then unleashed a barrage of spikes from her back that actually managed appears to pick ogre skin.

"This way you brute," said Astrid as she floated towards the magic circle in the clearing.

"Come and get us ugly," Ragnar called he did the same.

The ogre roared and began to chase after them swinging his large tree branch. The moment he stepped into the magic circle Ragnar then places hands together.

" _Ice-Make: Chains!_ " he yelled.

Immediately he created a series of ice change the began to wrap themselves around the ogre trapping him in place. Then Toothless, who was in his battle form, and Taurus then each grout in armour and held the ogre in place.

"Hiccup now!" Toothless yelled.

Hiccup places hands together and began to chant.

The magic circle began to glow, but sadly the ogre was not going to sit still. He kept on crashing around breaking the chains that were wrapped around him. Ragnar kept on making more chains, but he kept on breaking them and he was starting to lose his magic power.

"Can't keep this up forever!" he winced.

"Neither can we," said Toothless.

"You can do it!" Ruby yelled.

"Come on," said Astrid.

The ogre managed to break the chain that was wrapped around his arm and managed to what Taurus away. He was sent flying straight into a tree which toppled over the moment he made contact.

"I feel dizzy," he said and then vanished.

"Come on," said Ruby.

The ogre then grabbed Toothless with his free arm, but Astrid appeared out of nowhere and sliced at the arm dealing a very deep cut. The ogre roared in pain releasing Toothless, who immediately flew to safety.

"Hiccup, we can't hold!" Ragnar yelled as he kept on trying to strengthen the chains.

Eventually the ogre was able to break free from the chains and made a mad dash towards them.

At the same time Hiccup finished the chant and suddenly there was a bright light. When it traded the ogre was gone much to the relief of everyone.

"What a relief," said Ruby falling to the ground.

"Look what I found here," said Toothless.

They all turned and saw that he was holding a flag with an insignia on it.

"That's Lord Iserrill's seal," said Hiccup.

"So he was behind it," said Ragnar completely exhausted.

"What do we do with it?" Ruby asked.

"Oh, I know just what to do," Hiccup smiled.

* * *

A few moments later they were riding in the carriage back to Berk.

"So what happens to Iserrill now?" Ruby asked.

Hiccup smiled. "Oh, I sent a message directly to the capital. No doubt his Majesty's reading the letter right now."

"With any luck you strip the man of his title and lock him in prison," Ragnar smirked.

"And the elves should no longer have any problem with that route nor will the traders," Astrid added.

"Looks like the scoundrels scheme has backfired on him," Stormfly smirked

"And thanks to the healing I've done they should be moving now," said Merrill.

"All end-to-end well," said Toothless.

They all laughed and then Ruby saw Hiccup the First walking over the road much to her confusion.

"That's weird," she blinked.

"Did you say something?" Toothless asked.

"Well, I thought I just saw our First Master cross the road," Ruby frowned.

"What would he be doing here?" Ragnar frowned.

When Ruby looked back she saw that he was gone. "Guess I just imagined it."

In truth she hadn't, Hiccup the First was making his way into the woods with a fixed look upon his face.

* * *

Elsewhere within the forest Orba was skittering down the path until he reached the deepest dark woods. He then landed on the shoulder of Drago, who was sitting cross-legged surrounded by dead grass.

Floating above him was Hiccup the First, who narrowed his eyes. "I thought that I felt your present at the Grand Magic Games, Drago. Did you watch?"

"I neither hear your voice nor see you your face, Hiccup," said Drago. "Yet I know that you're somewhere near looking down at me with those disdainful eyes of yours."

"He's not the only one with disdainful eyes," said a voice. A portal opened in emerging out of it was none other than the Chronicler. "It's been a long time, brother."

"Ah, I was wondering when you would show yourself Chronicler," said Drago not looking entirely surprised. "My, my, the three of burst together again it almost makes me misty eyed."

"It's been seven years since the two of us have been this close to one another, Drago," said Hiccup as he landed on the ground.

"It's been seven years now since the two of us have been this close to each other," said Drago.

"He just said that," said the Chronicler.

Drago smirked. "I forgot that you're able to see and hear him, though I'm not surprised considering the deep connection the two of you have."

"When are you gonna give up your foolish crusade of ruling the world?" Hiccup demanded.

"He wants to know you're going to give up with your dream of conquering the world," said the Chronicler narrowing her eyes.

"Never," said Drago plainly. "I won't stop until it is without a doubt that I am ruler of this world. Only I am able to see things clearly, the two of you should have joined me when you have the chance."

"We won't allow this," said the Chronicler glaring.

Drago looked at his sister. "You cannot intervene and you know why."

"True, but if you do proceed with this plan of yours there will be no place safe from you from my wraith," the Chronicler warned.

"I'll burn that bridge when I come to it," said Drago plainly. He then looked at Hiccup. "As for you you're in no position to stop me from continuing my plans."

"Granted in my present condition I am not able to stop you, but there are others that will fight for what is right," said Hiccup.

"Come now, those people with those same ideals are the worst there is," said Drago as he rose to his feet. "They lied to themselves and everyone giving everyone home when there is none."

Hiccup narrowed his eyes. " _Dragon Tail_ accepts this world with all its flaws."

The Chronicler narrowed her eyes at Drago. "You know full well the prophecy then I foretold many centuries ago. He has the power to stop you."

"I admit that I'm surprised that he survived seven years ago," Drago admitted. "But if you think that boy stop me you're wrong."

"You're trying to start a war," said Hiccup.

"More like a one-sided annihilation, no man woman or child shall be spared," said Drago.

"I swear that _Dragon Tail_ will stop you and wife you're staying from this land," said Hiccup looking at Drago coldly.

Hiccup and the chronicler just narrowed their eyes at Drago, who did the same to them. Drago's power raged across the entire forest and it soon wilted and died indicating that he was true in his attempt for annihilation.


End file.
